University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
11-1
BYU
4-7
Lady Vols Rout BYU, 13-0
February 22, 2018 | Softball
Box Score
Cathedral City, Calif. -- No. 11 Tennessee's high-powered offense was on full display on Thursday, as the Lady Vols opened the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 13-0 victory in five innings over BYU.
UT (11-1) scored two runs in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings and added five in the third in a dominant effort. Caylan Arnold improved to 4-0 with the winning decision, recording four strikeouts and just three hits during the shutout performance.
The Lady Vols wasted no time getting the scoring party started. In the top of the first, the defending SEC Player of the Year Meghan Gregg stepped in with one out and hit her second home run of the season over the left-center field fence to bring home Jenna Holcomb and give Tennessee an early 2-0 lead.
The Cougars (4-7) threatened the UT lead in the bottom half of the frame, as a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third with two outs. After the next batter walked to load the bases, Arnold was able to get out of the jam, striking out Caitlyn Aldridge looking to preserve the two-run advantage.
UT added onto the lead with a two-out rally in the second. Aubrey Leach got things going with a bunt single, and was advanced to second by Holcomb. Gregg was then walked to load the bases for Chelsea Seggern. Seggern hit a grounder to second base that led to Holcomb and Leach both scoring via a throwing error, and Gregg and Seggern reaching second and third base as the Lady Vols made it 4-0.
Tennessee opened it up in the third with a five-run outburst. Ashley Morgan and Scarlet McSwain got things going with singles to right field that put runners quickly on first and second. Haley Bearden was then walked, which sent pinch-runner Sheridan Allen to third and McSwain to second and loaded the bases with zero outs. Two batters later, Aubrey Leach was able to reach on a fielder's choice, and Allen scored thanks to another throwing error by BYU. Holcomb then singled up the middle to once again load the bases and bring up Gregg.
The senior proceeded to do what many Lady Vols fans have grown accustomed to seeing, as she drove a single into center field that scored Bearden and gave Gregg her third RBI of the afternoon. The next batter, Seggern, hit a sacrifice fly to fight field, bringing Holcomb home and increasing the UT lead to 9-0.
In the fourth, Morgan was able to get on with her second consecutive leadoff single. McSwain came up next and blasted her fourth home run of the season to put the Lady Vols on top by double digits at 11-0.
Morgan would follow up the senior with a two-run shot of her own in the fifth inning that scored Amanda Ayala.
UP NEXT: Tennessee marches right into its second game of the Mary Nutter Classic, a 3:30 p.m. EST matchup with Bethune-Cookman.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arnold, Caylan (4-0)
L: MOFFAT, Autumn (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Seggern, Chelsea 1
HR: Gregg, Meghan 1 ; Morgan, Ashley 1 ; McSwain, Scarlet 1
RBI: Leach, Aubrey 1 ; Gregg, Meghan 3 ; Seggern, Chelsea 1 ; Morgan, Ashley 2 ; McSwain, Scarlet 2
SF: Seggern, Chelsea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Leach, Aubrey 2 ; Holcomb, Jenna 3 ; Gregg, Meghan 1 ; Morgan, Ashley 2 ; Allen, Sheridan 1 ; McSwain, Scarlet 2 ; Ayala, Amanda 1 ; Bearden, Haley 1
Base Running:
HBP: JENSEN, Rylee 1
