KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Softball opened the NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 win against Dayton inside Sherri Lee Parker Stadium on Friday. The No. 3 seeded Lady Vols had an impressive showing on defense to give them their first win in the Regional round.
It was a hot start for the Lady Vols on defense. At the top of the first inning, sophomore pitcher Karlyn Pickens struck out the side in order, but Tennessee’s first three batters couldn’t make it on base either.
In the second inning, Destiny Rodriquez initially smashed a 3-RBI home run to put Tennessee on the board, however, Giulia Koutsoyanopulos started running back to first base and Rodriquez ran past her. Therefore, Koutsoyanopulos was ruled out, and Rodriquez’s hit was counted as a 2-RBI single. The Lady Vols were up 2-0.
At the top of the third, Laura Mealer got Tennessee out of a jam with a catch and tag at third. The junior infielder executed two more impressive plays in the following inning to wrap up the top of the fourth, but the Lady Vols couldn’t snatch any additional runs in those innings.
Pickens continued to stay hot on the mound. She struck out two more Flyers in the fifth to close out the top of the inning. With Tennessee up to bat next, Sophia Nugent took the plate and singled through the left side to send Taylor Pannell home. The Lady Vols led 3-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, Kiki Milloy struck out for the second time to end the inning with no runs earned. However, Tennessee finished off the game with great fielding.
Pickens finished pitching all seven innings, recording 12 strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
Tennessee will take on Virginia in Game 3 of the Knoxville Regional. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m. The winner of the four-team, double-elimination tournament will advance and take on the winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional in the Super Regional round next weekend, May 23-26.
