University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
18-5, 1-0
Arkansas
11-10, 0-1
Vols Blow By Razorbacks in SEC Opener
March 11, 2016 | Softball
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 16 Tennessee opened Southeastern Conference play with a bang, tying a season high for runs in an 18-4 dismantling of Arkansas on Friday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The Vols (18-5, 1-0 SEC) earned their first conference win of 2016 by scoring in all four innings they came to the plate. Eight players drove in runs and 11 scored in UT's 10th victory by run rule this season.
Rainey Gaffin went 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs and threw two perfect innings in relief, recording four strikeouts. Gaffin, Shaliyah Geathers, Meghan Gregg, Aubrey Leach, Scarlet McSwain and Gretchen Aucoin all had two or more RBIs on the night for Tennessee.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Vols founds themselves behind in the first couple of innings after Arkansas (11-10, 0-1 SEC) jumped out to an early lead.
Starting pitcher Erin Gabriel recorded two quick outs in the first before Ashley Diaz singled and Rachel Box followed with a 2-run homer to left field to give the Razorbacks an early 2-0 lead.
UT put together a 2-out rally to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first. Gregg drew a 2-out walk and Geathers followed with an infield single to bring a red-hot Lexi Overstreet to the plate. The senior from Suwanee, Ga., delivered once again with an RBI single off the first baseman's glove to cut the deficit to one.
The Hogs got their 2-run cushion right back in the top of the second, however, thanks to an RBI single by Shelby Hiers to score Tori Cooper from second. Cooper led off the frame with a single through the right side.
The back-and-forth affair continued as the Vols scratched across another run in the bottom of the second after loading the bases with nobody out. Gregg drew a walk to score McSwain but Tennessee was unable to do anymore damage in the inning.
Diaz and the Razorbacks fired back with a leadoff home run to start the third, putting Arkansas up 4-2, but the Volunteers responded yet again with a big inning in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good.
Nine runners crossed the plate as Tennessee batted around in the third to take a commanding 11-4 lead. McSwain doubled over the right fielder's head to score Overstreet and get the train rolling. Gaffin singled in a pair of runs before Leach, Gregg, Geathers and Abby Lockman also recorded RBIs. McSwain capped things with her second RBI of the inning as she brought home Geathers with a sacrifice fly.
The Big Orange kept lighting up the scoreboard with seven more runs in the fourth inning. Leach singled in a run and Geathers brought in two after ripping a single into the left-center field gap. Aucoin completed the scoring with a pinch-hit grand slam, the fourth for UT in the past week.
Freshman Matty Moss picked up the win for UT, improving to 6-1 after pitching one inning in relief of Gabriel. Grace Moll was stuck with the loss for the Razorbacks after struggling to find the strike zone throughout the night, issuing nine of the team's 11 walks.
Due to expected inclement weather on Sunday, the Vols and Razorbacks will now play a doubleheader tomorrow with Game 1 starting at noon. Game 2 will still start at its originally scheduled time of 3:30 p.m., and be broadcast live on the SEC Network. Fans can listen to Brian Rice call both games on the radio at WNML AM 990.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Moss, Matty (6-1)
L: Grace Moll (7-8)
Batting:
HR: Ashley Diaz 1 ; Rachel Box 1
RBI: Shelby Hiers 1 ; Ashley Diaz 1 ; Rachel Box 2
SH: Madison Yannetti 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashley Diaz 2 ; Rachel Box 1 ; Tori Cooper 1
Batting:
2B: McSwain, Scarlet 1 ; Gaffin, Rainey 1
HR: Aucoin, Gretchen 1
RBI: Leach, Aubrey 2 ; Gregg, Meghan 2 ; Geathers, Shaliyah 3 ; Overstreet, Lexi 1 ; Lockman, Abby 1 ; Aucoin, Gretchen 4 ; McSwain, Scarlet 2 ; Gaffin, Rainey 2
SF: Lockman, Abby 1 ; McSwain, Scarlet 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Geer, Megan 2 ; Leach, Aubrey 2 ; Gregg, Meghan 3 ; Geathers, Shaliyah 2 ; Overstreet, Lexi 2 ; Huffstetler, Savannah 1 ; Aucoin, Gretchen 1 ; McSwain, Scarlet 1 ; Vines, Brooke 2 ; Gaffin, Rainey 1 ; Gallo, Kassidy 1
SB: Leach, Aubrey 1 ; Overstreet, Lexi 1
CS: McSwain, Scarlet 1
HBP: Overstreet, Lexi 1 ; McSwain, Scarlet 1
