University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, April 16
Knoxville, Tenn.
2:00 PM
University of Tennessee
28-12, 9-6
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Texas A&M
24-15, 3-10
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Texas A&M
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Tennessee
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Puni Walks It Off To Earn Karen Weekly’s 1200th Career Win
April 16, 2022 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee sophomore Zaida Puni cranked a two-run blast over the right field wall to walk off a Lady Vol comeback victory and earn head coach Karen Weekly's 1,200th career win Saturday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Puni's homer marks Tennessee's first walk-off home run in a non-run-rule game since Ivy Davis had a game-ending solo shot against LSU on March 13, 2021.
Weekly now holds a 1,200-409-2 all-time record and becomes the 14th head coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 1,200-win milestone. In her 21 years at Tennessee, she touts a 977-312-2 overall record after going 223-97 at Chattanooga from 1997-2001. Weekly currently ranks sixth among active head coaches in career victories.
Tennessee freshman righty Nicola Simpson picked up her first career win Saturday afternoon after 1.1 innings of relief in which she did not allow a run or a hit through five batters faced.
Puni (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, HR) and Davis (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2B) each recorded multi-hit performances, while Kelcy Leach was 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the Lady Vol win.
Texas A&M's Makinzy Herzog entered the game as the SEC's ERA leader and gave up three earned runs Saturday. Reliever Emiley Kennedy was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs across 2.1 innings pitched.
The Lady Vols (28-12, 9-6 SEC) struck first as Leach's RBI double to deep center field scored freshman infielder McKenna Gibson in the bottom of the second.
After a pitcher's duel was the theme through three innings, the offenses combined for six runs in the fourth. For the Aggies (24-15, 3-10 SEC), Katie Dack posted a sac fly to center field to score Trinity Cannon who reached base on a leadoff walk. Texas A&M's Mayce Allen then sent a three-run shot to left field, giving the Aggies a 4-1 lead in the middle of the fourth.
UT responded in the bottom of the frame, as Anna Fox's steal of second base allowed freshman Katie Taylor to sneak home from third. Later in the inning, Davis roped an RBI double to left field, driving in Fox from third to cut the Aggie lead to 4-3.
A&M pulled Herzog for Kennedy to pitch in the fifth inning. Lady Vol super senior Ashley Morgan flied out to left field and scored Lair Beautae on a sac fly to tie the game at four entering the sixth inning.
Texas A&M regained the lead at 5-4 as Rylen Wiggins scored off an Allen single to right center before Simpson was called on in relief. The Lady Vol rookie loaded the bases with an intentional walk before erasing the threat with a five-pitch swinging strikeout.
Tennessee tied it up once again in the bottom of the sixth when Davis' RBI single to right field allowed Kaitlin Parsons to come home easily from third and knot the game at five runs apiece.
Simpson made quick work of the middle of Texas A&M's lineup with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to set up a walk-off scenario for UT. After Morgan reached on an error in the Aggie infield, Puni stepped into the batter's box and drove the first pitch of the at-bat opposite field to the bleachers in right center to end the game and secure a Lady Vol win in the series opener.
Prior to Saturday's action, the Lady Vols recognized two-time All-American and LVFL Sarah Fekete Bailey (2003-06) by retiring her jersey at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The Maryville native was a four-year starter on Rocky Top from 2003-06 and helped lead the Lady Vols to their first two appearances at the Women's College World Series in 2005 and 2006.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will look to claim the series Sunday at 4 p.m. ET in game two against Texas A&M at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The action will be televised on SEC Network.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
Puni's homer marks Tennessee's first walk-off home run in a non-run-rule game since Ivy Davis had a game-ending solo shot against LSU on March 13, 2021.
Weekly now holds a 1,200-409-2 all-time record and becomes the 14th head coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 1,200-win milestone. In her 21 years at Tennessee, she touts a 977-312-2 overall record after going 223-97 at Chattanooga from 1997-2001. Weekly currently ranks sixth among active head coaches in career victories.
Tennessee freshman righty Nicola Simpson picked up her first career win Saturday afternoon after 1.1 innings of relief in which she did not allow a run or a hit through five batters faced.
Puni (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, HR) and Davis (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2B) each recorded multi-hit performances, while Kelcy Leach was 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the Lady Vol win.
Texas A&M's Makinzy Herzog entered the game as the SEC's ERA leader and gave up three earned runs Saturday. Reliever Emiley Kennedy was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs across 2.1 innings pitched.
The Lady Vols (28-12, 9-6 SEC) struck first as Leach's RBI double to deep center field scored freshman infielder McKenna Gibson in the bottom of the second.
After a pitcher's duel was the theme through three innings, the offenses combined for six runs in the fourth. For the Aggies (24-15, 3-10 SEC), Katie Dack posted a sac fly to center field to score Trinity Cannon who reached base on a leadoff walk. Texas A&M's Mayce Allen then sent a three-run shot to left field, giving the Aggies a 4-1 lead in the middle of the fourth.
UT responded in the bottom of the frame, as Anna Fox's steal of second base allowed freshman Katie Taylor to sneak home from third. Later in the inning, Davis roped an RBI double to left field, driving in Fox from third to cut the Aggie lead to 4-3.
A&M pulled Herzog for Kennedy to pitch in the fifth inning. Lady Vol super senior Ashley Morgan flied out to left field and scored Lair Beautae on a sac fly to tie the game at four entering the sixth inning.
Texas A&M regained the lead at 5-4 as Rylen Wiggins scored off an Allen single to right center before Simpson was called on in relief. The Lady Vol rookie loaded the bases with an intentional walk before erasing the threat with a five-pitch swinging strikeout.
Tennessee tied it up once again in the bottom of the sixth when Davis' RBI single to right field allowed Kaitlin Parsons to come home easily from third and knot the game at five runs apiece.
Simpson made quick work of the middle of Texas A&M's lineup with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to set up a walk-off scenario for UT. After Morgan reached on an error in the Aggie infield, Puni stepped into the batter's box and drove the first pitch of the at-bat opposite field to the bleachers in right center to end the game and secure a Lady Vol win in the series opener.
Prior to Saturday's action, the Lady Vols recognized two-time All-American and LVFL Sarah Fekete Bailey (2003-06) by retiring her jersey at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The Maryville native was a four-year starter on Rocky Top from 2003-06 and helped lead the Lady Vols to their first two appearances at the Women's College World Series in 2005 and 2006.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will look to claim the series Sunday at 4 p.m. ET in game two against Texas A&M at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The action will be televised on SEC Network.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Simpson, Nicola (1-0)
L: Kennedy, Emiley (8-7)
Batting:
2B: Herzog, Makinzy 1
HR: Allen, Mayce 1
RBI: Dack, Katie 1 ; Allen, Mayce 4
SF: Dack, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cannon, Trinity 1 ; Herzog, Makinzy 1 ; Wiggins, Rylen 1 ; Smith, Morgan 1 ; Allen, Mayce 1
SB: Wiggins, Rylen 1
CS: Dack, Katie 1
HBP: Cannon, Trinity 1 ; Smith, Morgan 1
Batting:
2B: Puni, Zaida 1 ; Leach, Kelcy 1 ; Davis, Ivy 1
HR: Puni, Zaida 1
RBI: Morgan, Ashley 1 ; Puni, Zaida 2 ; Leach, Kelcy 1 ; Davis, Ivy 2
SF: Morgan, Ashley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Beautae, Lair 1 ; Goodloe, Shakara 1 ; Puni, Zaida 1 ; Taylor, Katie 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Fox, Anna 1 ; Parsons, Kaitlin 1
SB: Fox, Anna 1 ; Parsons, Kaitlin 1
HBP: Gibson, McKenna 1 ; West, Rylie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
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