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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore infielder Zaida Puni drove in all six runs for the 14th-ranked Lady Vols as Tennessee wrapped up the weekend with a 6-2 victory over No. 10 Arkansas Sunday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The UT newcomer from Carson, California, blasted a grand slam, roped an RBI double and recorded an RBI groundout as part of her 2-for-4 outing in the series finale. Super senior outfielder Amanda Ayala also posted a 2-for-4 performance at the dish with a single and a double, rounding out her weekend with a team-high six hits, three runs, two doubles and a home run.
Graduate pitcher Erin Edmoundson picked up her 13th win on the season with a complete-game effort, tallying six strikeouts to one walk whlie allowing two earned runs on six hits. The loss went to Arkansas starter Callie Turner, who was tagged with four runs allowed in 1.2 innings pitched.
Puni opened the scoring for the Big Orange (20-8, 3-2 SEC) with her RBI double in the bottom of the first, rocketing a pitch off the wall in right field that brought home freshman Lair Beautae from second.
After Edmoundson retired the Hogs (19-5, 2-1 SEC) in order in the top of the second, the Lady Vols loaded the bases with a walk, hit by pitch and an error in the Arkansas infield. The Razorbacks changed pitchers, and Puni tanked Jenna Bloom’s first offering deep to left field for a no-doubt grand slam that put Tennessee ahead 5-0 through two innings.
Arkansas threatened with runners on the corners and one out in the top of the fourth, but the cool, calm and collected Edmoundson dealt back-to-back strikeouts, swinging and looking, to erase the damage. The Lady Vol lefty proceeded to retire the side in order in the fifth with another backwards K and two groundouts to maintain a 5-0 Big Orange lead through four-and-a-half frames.
The Razorbacks broke up the shutout with two runs in the top of the sixth. Catcher Taylor Ellsworth brought the first run in after grounding into a double play with two runners aboard, and SEC batting leader Danielle Gibson doubled the Hogs’ run total with a solo shot to center field on the ensuing plate appearance.
Tennessee added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Puni plated Ayala from third on a slow roller through the infield for an RBI groundout. With a 6-2 lead and three outs remaining, Edmoundson collected her sixth strikeout of the afternoon before ending the game with a popout and a groundout to secure the top-10 victory.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will travel to Gainesville, Florida, and continue conference play with a three-game series March 25-27 against the 6th-ranked Gators. Friday and Saturday’s games will begin at 6 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, and can be seen on SEC Network+. The series finale will be nationally televised on ESPNU Sunday at 2 p.m.
-UT Athletics
