By JOSH EZZELL - May 15, 2007 - 12:09 a.m.

Riverdale dug the long ball Monday night against Tullahoma.

Sparked by a two-run home run by senior catcher Kelsey Woodruff and a solo shot by senior shortstop Jessica Whitens, Riverdale (46-4-1) defeated visiting Tullahoma 5-0 in the Region 4-AAA semifinals.

"It's a good win for us," said Riverdale coach Jeff Breeden, whose squad will visit Columbia for the region title 7 p.m. Wednesday. Columbia, which fell to Riverdale 7-0 on March 22, beat Lebanon 1-0 Monday night. If Riverdale beats Columbia Wednesday night it plays host to the loser of the Soddy-Daisy/Ooltewah game Friday night. If Riverdale loses to Columbia it visits the winner of the Soddy-Daisy/Ooltewah game.

"I felt good about the way we got runs," Breeden added.

Junior pitcher Cat Hosfield, a University of Tennessee commitment, struck out 16 — she's No. 8 on the national single-season record for most strikeouts in a season with 581 and needs nine to move into a tie for seventh — and surrendered only one hit. Hosfield's tied for sixth nationally for most wins in a season with 40, and her 28 strikeouts put her in sixth place nationally for most shutouts in a season.

Five times she retired Tullahoma (16-15) in order, and she struck out the side three times.

"It's definitely big," Hosfield (40-3) said of the win. "We get to play Friday."

Riverdale took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Woodruff hit a two-run shot over the center-field fence, scoring sophomore left fielder Kelsey Choate, who walked. Choate had a single in the third inning and extended her hitting streak to 12 games.

"With Choate being on first I was trying to get a good pitch," Woodruff said. "(The home run) was really high. It barely made it over the fence."

Sophomore first baseman Jessica Ayers added an RBI in the second when sophomore center fielder Ashia Terry, who tripled, scored on a bunt.

Choate scored in the third when Whitens drew a throw to second base trying to steal. Whitens returned to second safely.

Whitens added a home run over the center-field fence in the sixth inning.

"I was looking to get a hit," Whitens said. "I wasn't expecting to hit it over the fence."

Tullahoma's Meghan Brayton (15-10) struck out eight and surrendered five hits in the losing effort. Shortstop Jessica Boehm had Tullahoma's lone hit.