KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The ninth-ranked Lady Vols hit five home runs on Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium as they picked up two more wins in the Tennessee Classic – beating Stetson 3-2 and Longwood 12-1.
Graduate Kiki Milloy hit a pair of bombs in game two versus Longwood – opening the outing with a leadoff homer before roping her second of the day in the fourth inning. Tennessee’s all-time home runs leader, Milloy has hit six homers this season with three coming over the weekend.
Milloy also stole three bases in the day’s first game versus Stetson and has six stolen bases in the last four games.
Destiny Rodriguez was the hero against Stetson as her sixth-inning home run proved to be the game-winner. With the game tied 2-2, Rodriguez blasted a ball off the top of the scoreboard in left to put UT ahead by a run and clinch the victory.
The long ball was Rodriguez’s four of the season and her second game-winner.
In the circle, Charli Orsini got the start against Stetson and tossed 4.1 innings. She scattered four hits and two runs – one earned – with a pair of strikeouts. Karlyn Pickens came on in relief with the game tied and threw the final 2.2 frames.
She allowed just one hit, struck out five and walked one as she earned the win and moved to 6-2 on the year.
Payton Gottshall went the distance in Tennessee’s run-rule win over Longwood as she pitched five innings. The graduate struck out eight, while giving up one run on four hits. With the win, Gottshall is 5-2 in 2024.
GAME ONE – #9 Tennessee 3, Stetson 2
In the first inning against the Hatters, senior Zaida Puni started the scoring with a grounder to short. Her hit allowed Milloy to break for home and slide in to beat the tag at the plate for Tennessee’s opening run.
Senior Rylie West continued to swing a hot bat as her third-inning double to right center plated Milloy and gave UT a 2-0 lead.
Stetson’s Annabella McClerren tied the game in the fifth with a two-run home run, setting the stage for Rodriguez’s second game-winning blast of the season.
With one out and a 2-1 count in the bottom of the sixth, Rodriguez plunked the top of Tennessee’s scoreboard in left-center field to put UT ahead and clinch the game-one win.
GAME TWO – #9 Tennessee 12, Longwood 1
No heroics were needed in the second game of the day versus Longwood as the Lady Vols jumped out quick on the Lancers, scoring eight runs in the first two innings.
Milloy led off the game with a homer in the bottom of the first before UT cranked up the offense in the second, plating seven runs on three hits.
Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk – one of 10 walks drawn by the Lady Vols in the game – to drive in UT’s second run. West cleared the bases in the next at-bat, hitting a grand slam to straightaway center field.
Tennessee added two more runs in the frame off a bases-loaded walk and a Sophia Nugent grounder that Katie Taylor was able to score on.
Longwood got one run back in the third as Kayley Devivi roped an RBI double to left.
McKenna Gibson responded for the Lady Vols as she hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. The homer marked her third of the season.
Also in the third, Taylor Pannell drove in a run with a sac fly to center.
Opening and closing the night, Milloy hit her second home run of the game in the fourth to put the Lady Vols up 12-1.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols and Lancers will close out the 2024 Tennessee Classic with a Monday matinee. First pitch from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium is set for noon ET. The game can be streamed on SEC Network+ or through the ESPN app.
Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice will mark his first game in the booth for Tennessee softball in 2024 on Monday. Fans can listen to his call via a free audio broadcast through UTSports.com or the Tennessee Gameday app.
