Vols Open NCAA Regionals with 10-2 Win over Marist

Saturday, May 21

Knoxville, Tenn.

12:00 PM

University of Tennessee

42-14

Marist

45-12

Marist

Tennessee

May 21, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

May 21, 2016

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 13 Tennessee kicked off its 2016 NCAA Tournament run with a dominant 10-2 run-rule victory over Marist on Saturday afternoon.

Megan Geer and Gretchen Aucoin drove in two runs apiece to lead the offense while Erin Gabriel threw 4.1 innings and struck out five to earn her 20th win of the year.

The Vols fell behind early after giving up a two-run homer to Marist cleanup hitter Rebecca Freeman in the top of the first inning. After the first two batters were retired, Kyrsten Van Natta reached on a walk before Freeman's two-run blast off the scoreboard.

UT struck for a pair of runs to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning. Lexi Overstreet was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and stole second before scoring on a double off the center-field wall by Aucoin. CJ McClain tied the game at two with an RBI infield single later in the inning to score Aucoin from third.

Geer put the Big Orange on top for the first time in the game with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. It was the 11th dinger of the year for the junior from Los Alamitos, Calif., and put the Vols up 3-2.

Tennessee added three more runs in the fourth inning to give itself some breathing room. Back-to-back singles by McClain and Brooke Vines followed by a walk from Meghan Gregg loaded the bases with no outs. Geer drew another walk to drive in a run and the Vols added another pair of runs on consecutive sacrifice flies by Overstreet and Aucoin to take a 6-2 lead into the fifth.

UT added four runs in the bottom of the sixth to send the run-rule into effect and send the Vols into the winner's bracket game against Arizona. Matty Moss threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief to earn her second save of the season.