KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After over a year of waiting, the No. 22 Tennessee softball team opened up SEC play with a split doubleheader with No. 12 LSU on Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
LSU (14-7, 1-1 SEC) took game one, 2-1, in eight innings, before Tennessee (18-2, 1-1 SEC) responded with a win in game two, 4-3, also in eight innings.
Junior standout, Ashley Rogers was stellar in the circle once again, tossing nine total innings, finishing the day with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Senior third baseman Chelsea Seggern was consistent at the dish, finishing the day, 4-for-7, with a home run and a pair of RBI’s.
Classmate Ivy Davis finished 3-for-7 finishing the day with the all-important game-winning blast to give the ORange & White the victory in the second game of the day.
Game 1 Tennessee 1 LSU 2 F/8
Despite a stellar effort from Rogers, the Lady Vols were unable to manufacture the needed runs to walk away with a victory in the opening game of the series.
Rogers gave up just four hits and two earned runs in a complete game eight inning effort, while fanning 11 batters. Her performance marked her fifth game with double-digit strikeouts in just 10 starts.
She was slightly outdueled by the combined effort of Shelbi Sunseri and Ali Kilponen.
The opening four innings saw little action at the dish, with those in the circle controlling the opening contests ebbs and flows.
In the top half of the fifth, LSU struck first on a dribbler down the first base line. The runner on second found her way home on a tough throwing error from Rogers.
In the home half of the sixth, Cailin Hannon smashed a solo rope over the centerfield wall to even the score at 1-1.
The contest eventually went to extras and in the top of the eighth, LSU’s Taylor Pleasants belted one into the stands in left to give the Tigers a 2-1 advantage.
Kilponen held off the Lady Vols final comeback bid to cement the game one final score.
Game 2 Tennessee 4 LSU 3 F/8
Tennessee pitched by committee, giving up just three runs on four hits in eight innings of work.
The Lady Vol bats opened game two with vigor. After Ayala walked, Seggern took matters into her own bat and sent one into the left field bleachers to give UT an instant 2-0 lead.
Two innings later, LSU cut the Lady Vol lead in half on throwing error from Callie Turner that allowed Aliyah Andrews to score.
In the fifth inning, the Tigers took their first lead of the days second contest on a one out triple from Andrews to tie it, before the centerfielder scored on a ground out on the ensuing at-bat.
Entering the nights final regulation inning, trailing 3-2, the Lady Vols manufactured the tying run to send a second consecutive contest to extras.
Madison Webber opened the inning with a single to right. Freshman Rylie West came in to pinch hit and ripped a double to center to put runners on second and third with no outs.
One batter later, Hannon grounded out to first, scoring pinch runner Hanna Fox to knot things up.
After Rogers came in and shut things down in the top of the eight, Davis went yard on the second pitch of her at-bat, ending the marathon day.
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns for the rubber match of the its SEC opening series with LSU tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
Game One PDF Box | Game Two PDF Box | Karen Weekly and Ivy Davis Postgame |
-UT Athletics
