University of Tennessee Athletics
Thursday, April 6
Knoxville
12:30 PM
University of Tennessee
30-3
11
vs
0
Mercer
12-26
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Mercer
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tennessee
1
6
4
0
X
11
6
1
#4/5 Lady Vols Split on Day One of Tennessee Invitational
April 06, 2023 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Lady Vols split their first two games of the Tennessee Invitational Thursday, defeating Mercer 11-0 before falling to No. 21 Baylor 1-0 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Against Mercer, Payton Gottshall and Nicola Simpson combined for a no-hitter – Tennessee's third no-hitter this season and the first combined no-no since 2021. Gottshall got the start against the Bears, tossing three innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Simpson came on in relief for the final two innings and fanned a pair of batters.
Gottshall earned the win and is 8-0 on the year.
Tennessee (30-4) received another solid pitching performance from Ashley Rogers versus Baylor as the righty pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on three hits with eight strikeouts. Baylor starter Dariana Orme was also solid in her outing, going the full seven innings and surrendering just one hit while fanning five.
Rogers suffered her first defeat of the season and is now 11-1.
Game 1: #4 Tennessee 11, Mercer 0
The Lady Vols wasted no time getting on the board as they pushed across a run on a Mackenzie Donihoo sacrifice fly in the home half of the first inning.
UT then scored six runs in the second thanks to a Kiki Milloy bases-loaded walk followed by a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Lair Beautae. Tennessee added two more in the frame as McKenna Gibson singled through the left side of the diamond to plate Beautae and Donihoo.
Katie Taylor sent pinch runner Brylee Mesusan racing home in the third as she doubles to left. With two away and Taylor and Milloy standing on second and third, Beautae crushed a three-run home run to left center – putting Tennessee up 11-0.
Simpson then came on to pitch and kept the Bears hitless and off the board to preserve the no-hitter and shutout.
Game 2: #4 Tennessee 0, #21 Baylor 1
The pitchers dominated the day in game two as neither team could muster much at the plate – generating a combined four hits.
Baylor scored the game's only run in the first inning as McKenzie Wilson doubled to center to begin the frame. She was able to tag and advance on a fly out to left, setting the table for Sydney Collazos to drive her in with two away.
On a 1-1 count, Collazos drove a single into center to plate Wilson and give Baylor starter Dariana Orme all the run support she needed.
Orme held the Lady Vols in check, giving up just one hit to Katie Taylor in the third inning. She went the distance in the circle and improved her record to 12-4 this season.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will wrap up the Tennessee Invitational on Saturday as they play another doubleheader against Baylor and Mercer, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Against Mercer, Payton Gottshall and Nicola Simpson combined for a no-hitter – Tennessee's third no-hitter this season and the first combined no-no since 2021. Gottshall got the start against the Bears, tossing three innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Simpson came on in relief for the final two innings and fanned a pair of batters.
Gottshall earned the win and is 8-0 on the year.
Tennessee (30-4) received another solid pitching performance from Ashley Rogers versus Baylor as the righty pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on three hits with eight strikeouts. Baylor starter Dariana Orme was also solid in her outing, going the full seven innings and surrendering just one hit while fanning five.
Rogers suffered her first defeat of the season and is now 11-1.
Game 1: #4 Tennessee 11, Mercer 0
The Lady Vols wasted no time getting on the board as they pushed across a run on a Mackenzie Donihoo sacrifice fly in the home half of the first inning.
UT then scored six runs in the second thanks to a Kiki Milloy bases-loaded walk followed by a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Lair Beautae. Tennessee added two more in the frame as McKenna Gibson singled through the left side of the diamond to plate Beautae and Donihoo.
Katie Taylor sent pinch runner Brylee Mesusan racing home in the third as she doubles to left. With two away and Taylor and Milloy standing on second and third, Beautae crushed a three-run home run to left center – putting Tennessee up 11-0.
Simpson then came on to pitch and kept the Bears hitless and off the board to preserve the no-hitter and shutout.
Game 2: #4 Tennessee 0, #21 Baylor 1
The pitchers dominated the day in game two as neither team could muster much at the plate – generating a combined four hits.
Baylor scored the game's only run in the first inning as McKenzie Wilson doubled to center to begin the frame. She was able to tag and advance on a fly out to left, setting the table for Sydney Collazos to drive her in with two away.
On a 1-1 count, Collazos drove a single into center to plate Wilson and give Baylor starter Dariana Orme all the run support she needed.
Orme held the Lady Vols in check, giving up just one hit to Katie Taylor in the third inning. She went the distance in the circle and improved her record to 12-4 this season.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will wrap up the Tennessee Invitational on Saturday as they play another doubleheader against Baylor and Mercer, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gottshall, Payton (8-0)
L: Katie Rearley (3-6)
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Katie 1
3B: Beautae, Lair 1
HR: Beautae, Lair 1
RBI: Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Beautae, Lair 6 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 2 ; Taylor, Katie 1
SF: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Milloy, Kiki 3 ; Beautae, Lair 2 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Puni, Zaida 1 ; Mesusan, Brylee 1 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 1 ; Taylor, Katie 2
SB: Milloy, Kiki 2 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 1
HBP: West, Rylie 2
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
6
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
pr/lf
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
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