University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
North Dakota State
Weekly Earns Win No. 900 vs. NDSU
March 07, 2015 | Softball
March 7, 2015
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-- Meghan Gregg and Taylor Koenig brought the power to No. 11 Tennessee's offense, smashing home runs to lead the Lady Vols to a 14-3 (5) win over North Dakota State on Saturday in the Tennessee Invitational at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The win was No. 900 for Tennessee co-head coach Karen Weekly, who beccame the 42nd NCAA coach to reach that milestone.
UT (13-3) jumped on top from the opening at-bat and led the entire game to hand NDSU (14-5) its first loss of the weekend. Tennessee scored three in the first, three in the second, one in the third and seven in the fourth.
Seven Lady Vols earned at least one RBI with Koenig and Gretchen Aucoin driving in three apiece.
Aucoin (6-2) earned the win by striking out four and allowing two runs on two hits through 3.2 innings. Cheyenne Tarango made her season debut in relief, allowing one run in 1.1 innings to close out the victory.
A day after hitting a pair of home runs, including a walk-off shot, Friday against Northern Iowa, Gregg led off the game with a solo home run to center field, her second home run in her last three pitches seen.
Her fourth home run of the season was the first hit of the day given up by NDSU pitcher Krista Menke (10-2), who threw a no-hitter against Purdue in the game preceding the UT matchup. Menke allowed seven runs over 2.1 innings. Jacquelyn Sertic allowed seven runs over 1.2 relief frames.
UT added two more runs in the bottom of the first inning after Aucoin's two-out hit to the second baseman went through her legs, allowing Annie Aldrete to score from second base. After Lexi Overstreet walked to load the bases, CJ McClain drove in a run after being hit by the first pitch of her at-bat.
Koenig launched her eighth home run of the season in the second inning, sending a three-run moon shot to left field, scoring Megan Geer and Aldrete. Koenig, along with Gregg, has hit home runs in consecutive games after she drove in two runs during the third inning against UNI Friday.
Tennessee tacked on another run in the third inning. Overstreet led off by drawing a walk. Gregg earned her second RBI of the day by hit a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in Overstreet.
UT added to their lead in the fourth inning by tacking on seven more runs. With the bases loaded and no outs, Aucoin slapped a two-run single up the middle, scoring pinch runner Hannah Devotie and Koenig. With Scarlet McSwain and Aucoin on second and third base after a throwing error, Overstreet followed with another two-run single to put the Lady Vols up by double-digits. Geer added a bases-loaded double to the right-centerfield gap, scoring Overstreet and Geathers. Aldrete drove in Gregg on a sacrifice fly to center field in an inning in which UT batted around.
The Bison got on the board in the fourth inning, thanks to an Amanda Grable two-run home run to left-centerfield.
Tennessee wraps up the 2015 Tennessee Invitational with a pair of Sunday afternoon games against Purdue at 12:15 p.m. ET and Indiana State at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both games will feature live online broadcasts on SEC Network + or WatchESPN. Fans can view the game by logging in with their cable or satellite accounts.
