Gabriel Tosses 16-K No-No In 6-0 Win

Tuesday, March 10

Knoxville, Tenn.

7:30 PM

University of Tennessee

18-3

Illinois State

9-15

Illinois State

Tennessee

March 10, 2015 | Softball

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March 10, 2015

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Erin Gabriel pitched the game of her life on Tuesday. The Tennessee junior threw a seven-inning no-hitter, striking out a career-high 16 to lead the No. 9 Lady Vols to a 6-0 win over Illinois State in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Gabriel's no-no was the 46th in program history and the first to go seven innings since Monica Abbott shut down Texas A&M in seven frames on May 31, 2007. Her 16 strikeouts were also the most by a Tennessee pitcher in a no-no since Abbott fanned 16 in that same no-no against the Aggies. It was also the 42nd individual no-hitter (one pitcher) in school history.

Gabriel is the 11th Tennessee pitcher to throw a solo no-hitter, joining the likes of Abbott, Jackie Beavers, Leigh Ann Ellis, Stephanie Humphrey, Stacey Jennings, Meghan Rhodes, Buffy Walker, Ivy Renfroe, Ellen Renfroe and Rainey Gaffin.

"Tonight, I had a goal before the game to just be efficient with my pitches and just to just hold my team because we only had one run until the bottom of the sixth," Gabriel said. "I just went out there and focused on keeping my team in the game."

Gabriel (8-1) was dominant in the circle from start to finish and her ferocity helped UT defend a one-run lead for the majority of the game. Attacking the strike zone, she threw exactly 100 pitches with 68 for strikes. The Poland, Ohio, native also seemed to gain momentum with each strikeout, pointing to her teammates after Ks and exhibiting jubilation with each out.

Tennessee (18-3) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Annie Aldrete smacked a two-out, RBI double to left field, scoring Meghan Gregg from second base. Gabriel defended that one-run lead for the next five frames and got some terrific help from her defense in the few occasions she was not striking out ISU batters.

Lexi Overstreet caught Gabriel's no-no and came up with a big play in the second inning to preserve it. With one out, Illinois State's Riley Strandgard knocked short blooper in the infield and Overstreet ran from behind the plate to field the ball and get the out at first.

Overstreet sparked a five-run sixth inning that would give Gabriel some breathing room. The junior catcher ripped a one-out RBI double to left, scoring Megan Geer from second base. Gretchen Aucoin followed with a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side. Four batters later, Shaliyah Geathers hammered the first home run of her career, a three-run shot to center field to push UT's lead to 6-0.

The bottom of the seventh was nerve racking as the players, coaches and fans braced for a seven-inning no-no - something they had not seen a Tennessee hurler do since Abbott's reign of dominance. Gabriel started the seventh with a swinging strikeout of pinch hitter Regan Romshek. Jordan de los Reyes drew a walk on a full count in the next at-bat. Then, Stephanie Gallant reached on a fielder's choice when she hit a grounder to Gregg at shortstop and Gregg committed an E6 when the ball slipped out of her grasp for an easy force out (and potential double play starter) at second base. Co-head coach Karen Weekly called for a meeting in the circle to let the infielders and Gabriel collect themselves. Gabriel came out of that meeting strong, sending Strandgard down swinging and Billups down looking before a boisterous ovation from the home crowd.

Tennessee, which won Game 1 in impressive fashion (19-3 in five innings), will look to carry Tuesday's momentum into the start of SEC play. UT heads to Columbia, S.C., to open conference play at South Carolina with three games from March 13-15. The Lady Vols return to Lee Stadium on March 17 to host Western Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET.