University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, March 19
Knoxville, Tenn.
1:00 PM
University of Tennessee
19-8, 2-2
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Tennessee
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Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics
#14 Lady Vols’ Comeback Effort Falls Short In 9-6 Loss To #10 Arkansas
March 19, 2022 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The 14th-ranked Lady Vol softball team fell in game two of its SEC home opening series against No. 10 Arkansas, 9-6. Tennessee pulled within one run twice throughout the contest, but a Razorback grand slam in the top of the seventh ultimately led the Hogs to a series-clinching victory.
Arkansas ace Mary Haff relieved the staff over the final two frames and picked up her eighth win of the season, collecting a pair of strikeouts while allowing two unearned runs. Lady Vol sophomore Bailey McCachren was credited with the loss, surrendering four runs with two unearned in 2.1 innings pitched.
SEC batting leader Danielle Gibson, who entered the game with a conference-best .523 average, headlined Arkansas (19-4, 2-0 SEC) offensively with three hits, two home runs and seven RBIs on Saturday.
Tennessee (19-8, 2-2 SEC) was led by super senior left fielder Amanda Ayala with a three-hit showing at the dish. The Bloomfield, New Jersey, native drove in a team-high three RBIs with a solo homer and a two-run single for the Big Orange. Rylie West (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B) also posted a multi-hit performance, while Ashley Morgan went yard for the fifth time this season with her solo shot in the fifth.
UT freshman righty Nicola Simpson was solid in relief for Tennessee, pitching 4.2 frames with three strikeouts and one earned run on one hit.
Arkansas gained a 2-0 lead in the first when Danielle Gibson smacked a two-run homer that was carried by the wind into the bleachers in right center. The Razorbacks doubled their advantage in the second when right fielder Linnie Malkin came home from second on an error in the Tennessee outfield and infielder Cally Kildow scored on a sac fly to left.
Ayala cut into the lead in the bottom of third with her second hit of the afternoon, launching a leadoff solo blast to the porches in center field to make it a three-run deficit. The veteran outfielder tripled UT's run total the next inning, pushing a two-run single through the middle that brought home West and Kaitlin Parsons to narrow the Hogs' lead to 4-3.
The teams traded runs in the fifth, beginning in the top half as Arkansas scratched a run across when Gibson delivered an RBI single up the middle. Morgan sent a big fly to right center that made it a one-run ballgame once again, mashing a solo shot into the fifth row of the outfielder bleachers to cut the deficit to 5-4.
After a scoreless sixth for both sides, Gibson blew the game open with a grand slam in the top of the seventh that put the Hogs ahead 9-4. The Lady Vols put two runners in scoring position after West's double to left field in the bottom half, and pinch hitter Caliyah Thompson roped her first-career hit for a two-RBI single that cut the lead to three. Haff put an end to the rally with her 13th strikeout of the series to cement the afternoon's final score of 9-6.
UP NEXT: Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Gates will open at 12:30, and the game will be broadcasted online via SEC Network+.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
Arkansas ace Mary Haff relieved the staff over the final two frames and picked up her eighth win of the season, collecting a pair of strikeouts while allowing two unearned runs. Lady Vol sophomore Bailey McCachren was credited with the loss, surrendering four runs with two unearned in 2.1 innings pitched.
SEC batting leader Danielle Gibson, who entered the game with a conference-best .523 average, headlined Arkansas (19-4, 2-0 SEC) offensively with three hits, two home runs and seven RBIs on Saturday.
Tennessee (19-8, 2-2 SEC) was led by super senior left fielder Amanda Ayala with a three-hit showing at the dish. The Bloomfield, New Jersey, native drove in a team-high three RBIs with a solo homer and a two-run single for the Big Orange. Rylie West (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B) also posted a multi-hit performance, while Ashley Morgan went yard for the fifth time this season with her solo shot in the fifth.
UT freshman righty Nicola Simpson was solid in relief for Tennessee, pitching 4.2 frames with three strikeouts and one earned run on one hit.
Arkansas gained a 2-0 lead in the first when Danielle Gibson smacked a two-run homer that was carried by the wind into the bleachers in right center. The Razorbacks doubled their advantage in the second when right fielder Linnie Malkin came home from second on an error in the Tennessee outfield and infielder Cally Kildow scored on a sac fly to left.
Ayala cut into the lead in the bottom of third with her second hit of the afternoon, launching a leadoff solo blast to the porches in center field to make it a three-run deficit. The veteran outfielder tripled UT's run total the next inning, pushing a two-run single through the middle that brought home West and Kaitlin Parsons to narrow the Hogs' lead to 4-3.
The teams traded runs in the fifth, beginning in the top half as Arkansas scratched a run across when Gibson delivered an RBI single up the middle. Morgan sent a big fly to right center that made it a one-run ballgame once again, mashing a solo shot into the fifth row of the outfielder bleachers to cut the deficit to 5-4.
After a scoreless sixth for both sides, Gibson blew the game open with a grand slam in the top of the seventh that put the Hogs ahead 9-4. The Lady Vols put two runners in scoring position after West's double to left field in the bottom half, and pinch hitter Caliyah Thompson roped her first-career hit for a two-RBI single that cut the lead to three. Haff put an end to the rally with her 13th strikeout of the series to cement the afternoon's final score of 9-6.
UP NEXT: Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Gates will open at 12:30, and the game will be broadcasted online via SEC Network+.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mary Haff (8-2)
L: McCachren, Bailey (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Spencer Prigge 1
HR: Danielle Gibson 2
RBI: KB Sides 1 ; Danielle Gibson 7 ; Spencer Prigge 1
SF: KB Sides 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KB Sides 1 ; Hannah McEwen 3 ; Taylor Ellsworth 1 ; Danielle Gibson 2 ; Linnie Malkin 1 ; Cally Kildow 1
HBP: Hannah McEwen 2 ; Taylor Ellsworth 1 ; Linnie Malkin 1
Batting:
2B: Davis, Ivy 1 ; West, Rylie 1
HR: Ayala, Amanda 1 ; Morgan, Ashley 1
RBI: Ayala, Amanda 3 ; Morgan, Ashley 1 ; Thompson, Caliyah 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ayala, Amanda 1 ; Morgan, Ashley 1 ; Goodloe, Shakara 1 ; West, Rylie 2 ; Parsons, Kaitlin 1
HBP: Curran, Amanda 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballC/OF
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