Vols Bounce Buckeyes, Advance to Regional Final

Sunday, May 22

Knoxville, Tenn.

12:00 PM

University of Tennessee

43-15

Ohio State

34-20-1

Tennessee

Ohio State

May 22, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

May 22, 2016

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 13 Tennessee advanced to the NCAA Regional final against Arizona with a commanding 10-1 run-rule victory over Ohio State on Sunday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Lexi Overstreet had four RBIs while Erin Gabriel threw four scoreless innings in relief to improve to 21-6 on the year. The senior from Poland, Ohio was dominant in the circle, striking out seven batters in a row at one point while finishing the game with eight total.

For the first game this weekend the Vols opened the scoring, striking for two runs in the top of the first inning with a pair of bases-loaded walks. Brooke Vines, Aubrey Leach and Megan Geer all reached with singles to load the bases with one out before Overstreet and Gretchen Aucoin drew back-to-back walks to put UT ahead 2-0.

The Buckeyes responded with a run in the home half of the first as Maddy McIntyre singled through the right side of the infield to score Alex Bayne from third and cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Big Orange added to their lead in the second inning, however, exploding for six runs to take a 8-1 lead. Vines started things off with her second single of the game before Leach and Meghan Gregg followed with walks to load the bases. Two batters later, Overstreet cleared the bases with a double to center field, putting the Vols up 5-1.

Tennessee kept the inning going as Aucoin walked and Scarlet McSwain was hit by a pitch to reload the bases for Shaliyah Geathers. With a 2-1 count, Geathers singled to center field to drive in a pair of runs. The ball got by the Ohio State center fielder, which allowed McSwain to score from first and put the Vols up 8-1. It looked like Geathers also came all the way around to score on the play, but it was ruled that she missed home plate and was called out to end the inning.

UT put an exclamation point on the game with a two-run homer by Gregg in the top of the fifth. It was the 11th four-bagger for Gregg this season and put the Vols up 10-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

With the win the Vols advance to the NCAA Regional final to face Arizona. Tennessee will have to defeat the Wildcats twice in order to move on to the NCAA Super Regionals for the fifth straight season.