Game Recap: Softball | April 26, 2024
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Graduate Kiki Milloy became UT’s all-time runs leader, while head coach Karen Weekly notched her 1,300th career victory Friday night at Rhoads Stadium in No. 4 Tennessee’s 5-0 shutout victory over No. 17 Alabama.
Tennessee (36-8, 15-4 SEC) used a pair of two-run innings to take game one down in Tuscaloosa. After scoring once in the first, UT pushed two runs across the plate in the fifth before a two-run home run accounted for its fourth and fifth runs of the night in the seventh.
Senior Zaida Puni led the offense going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Her two-run home run in the top of the seventh gave Tennessee a little insurance. The blast was her team-high 12th of the year.
Milloy was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and three runs scored. Her third run of the game in the seventh inning was the 256th of her career – surpassing LVFL Aubrey Leach for most in program history.
Graduate Payton Gottshall got the start in the circle for Tennessee, tossing her seventh complete game and earning her second shutout. The right-hander recorded four strikeouts, walked two and scattered three hits en route to her 18th victory.
Giulia Koutsoyanopulos picked up two hits – a double and a single – and scored one run. McKenna Gibson, Sophia Nugent and Taylor Pannell rounded out Tennessee’s 10 hits.
Alabama (31-13, 8-11 SEC) started Kayla Beaver in the circle – letting her toss six innings. She allowed three runs – one earned – on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Jaala Torrence came on in the seventh and surrendered two runs on two hits with one strikeout.
Beaver took the loss – her seventh on the season.
Bailey Dowling, Kali Heivilin and Kristen White had Alabama’s three hits on the night.
STAT OF THE DAY
Tennessee is 34-0 when scoring three-plus runs this season and improved to 31-0 when leading after the fourth inning.
UP NEXT
Tennessee and Alabama will be back on the diamond Saturday night for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
