University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, April 9
Athens, Ga.
2:00 PM
University of Tennessee
11
at
5
Georgia
Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Bats Heat Up In 11-5 Win At No. 16 Georgia
April 09, 2022 | Softball
ATHENS, Ga. -- The 11th-ranked Tennessee softball team evened its SEC road series at No. 16 Georgia with an 11-5 victory Saturday afternoon at Jack Turner Softball Stadium. Graduate catcher Kelcy Leach and freshman infielder McKenna Gibson each homered once and drove in three runs apiece as Tennessee earned its sixth win over a ranked opponent away from Knoxville this season.
On her 23rd birthday, super senior outfielder Amanda Ayala tallied a game-high three hits and three runs scored for the Big Orange in Saturday's victory. Leach and Gibson provided three-run and two-run homers for the Lady Vols, respectively, while rookie left fielder Lair Beautae posted a pair of RBI doubles to continue her strong run through SEC play.
Sophomore pitcher Ryleigh White (2-1) picked up her first win over a ranked opponent this season, spinning 3.0 scoreless innings of one-hit relief and racking up a season-high five strikeouts. The Sparta, New Jersey, native fanned three batters in the sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh to cement the victory.
The Lady Vols (26-11, 8-5 SEC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, scoring on an error and a pair of extra-base hits to gain the early edge. After Zaida Puni reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on Ayala's single, super senior shortstop Ivy Davis smacked a ground ball that slipped past the glove of UGA infielder Sydney Kuma and allowed Puni to come home. Junior outfielder Kiki Milloy sent the ensuing pitch deep to center field, bouncing off the wall for a two-run double that scored Davis and Ayala. On the next pitch, Beautae traded places with her fellow outfielder Milloy as she roped an RBI double to left center.
Milloy's two-bagger in the second extended her reached base streak to 30 consecutive games, the longest streak in the SEC this season.
Georgia (32-9, 6-5 SEC) got on the board in the bottom of the second when Jaiden Fields cranked a leadoff homer to left field, cutting the Lady Vol lead to 4-1.
Tennessee kept its foot on the gas in the third, scoring five runs on three hits and an error. Gibson drove in the first run of the inning with a pop fly to left field that was misplayed and allowed rookie pinch runner Katie Taylor to score from third. Leach followed with a three-run blast to open up the game, sending a moon shot off the scoreboard to give UT an 8-1 advantage. After Davis reached on her 10th hit by pitch of the season, Beautae stepped up and knocked her second RBI double of the contest to bring Davis in and put the Lady Vols ahead by eight.
The Bulldogs tacked on three more in the third with Lacey Fincher's three-run shot that came after a pair of back-to-back walks to begin the frame. Sophomore lefty Bailey McCachren entered the circle and limited any more damage when she forced UGA into a groundout and a 6-4-3 double play.
Gibson provided UT's 10th and 11th runs in the top of the fourth, launching her seventh home run of the year to deep left for a two-run bomb that scored herself and Ayala and put the Lady Vols ahead 11-4 in the fourth.
Kuma notched a one-run single up the middle for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 11-5, but UT held UGA scoreless the rest of the way to even the series in Athens.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will go for its third-straight series win with a nationally televised rubber match Sunday afternoon, as the weekend finale at Georgia is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start on ESPN2. Eric Frede (play-by-play) and former Lady Vol All-American Madison Shipman (color analyst) will call the game remotely.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
On her 23rd birthday, super senior outfielder Amanda Ayala tallied a game-high three hits and three runs scored for the Big Orange in Saturday's victory. Leach and Gibson provided three-run and two-run homers for the Lady Vols, respectively, while rookie left fielder Lair Beautae posted a pair of RBI doubles to continue her strong run through SEC play.
Sophomore pitcher Ryleigh White (2-1) picked up her first win over a ranked opponent this season, spinning 3.0 scoreless innings of one-hit relief and racking up a season-high five strikeouts. The Sparta, New Jersey, native fanned three batters in the sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh to cement the victory.
The Lady Vols (26-11, 8-5 SEC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, scoring on an error and a pair of extra-base hits to gain the early edge. After Zaida Puni reached on a leadoff walk and moved to second on Ayala's single, super senior shortstop Ivy Davis smacked a ground ball that slipped past the glove of UGA infielder Sydney Kuma and allowed Puni to come home. Junior outfielder Kiki Milloy sent the ensuing pitch deep to center field, bouncing off the wall for a two-run double that scored Davis and Ayala. On the next pitch, Beautae traded places with her fellow outfielder Milloy as she roped an RBI double to left center.
Milloy's two-bagger in the second extended her reached base streak to 30 consecutive games, the longest streak in the SEC this season.
Georgia (32-9, 6-5 SEC) got on the board in the bottom of the second when Jaiden Fields cranked a leadoff homer to left field, cutting the Lady Vol lead to 4-1.
Tennessee kept its foot on the gas in the third, scoring five runs on three hits and an error. Gibson drove in the first run of the inning with a pop fly to left field that was misplayed and allowed rookie pinch runner Katie Taylor to score from third. Leach followed with a three-run blast to open up the game, sending a moon shot off the scoreboard to give UT an 8-1 advantage. After Davis reached on her 10th hit by pitch of the season, Beautae stepped up and knocked her second RBI double of the contest to bring Davis in and put the Lady Vols ahead by eight.
The Bulldogs tacked on three more in the third with Lacey Fincher's three-run shot that came after a pair of back-to-back walks to begin the frame. Sophomore lefty Bailey McCachren entered the circle and limited any more damage when she forced UGA into a groundout and a 6-4-3 double play.
Gibson provided UT's 10th and 11th runs in the top of the fourth, launching her seventh home run of the year to deep left for a two-run bomb that scored herself and Ayala and put the Lady Vols ahead 11-4 in the fourth.
Kuma notched a one-run single up the middle for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 11-5, but UT held UGA scoreless the rest of the way to even the series in Athens.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will go for its third-straight series win with a nationally televised rubber match Sunday afternoon, as the weekend finale at Georgia is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start on ESPN2. Eric Frede (play-by-play) and former Lady Vol All-American Madison Shipman (color analyst) will call the game remotely.
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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