CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Fifth-ranked Tennessee earned a 10-1, five-inning run-rule victory over Rutgers before falling 4-3 to No. 4 UCLA on Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California.
 
Saviya Morgan had a strong day, going 4-for-6 with four runs, a double, a triple, and one RBI. The freshman also stole two bases.
 
Fellow freshman Emma Clarke hit her first career home run in the win over Rutgers, a two-run blast that sealed the Lady Vols’ run-rule victory.
 
GAME ONE: #5 TENNESSEE 10, RUTGERS 1
Rutgers struck first with a run in the top of the first, but Tennessee responded with 10 unanswered runs, fueled by nine hits, including two triples and two home runs.
 
Morgan led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on a single by Kinsey Fiedler. The two combined again in the third, as Fiedler singled home Morgan for Tennessee’s second run.
 
The Lady Vols extended their lead in the third when Taylor Pannell crushed a two-run homer, her sixth of the season.
 
Tennessee put the game out of reach with a four-run fourth inning, followed by Clarke’s walk-off two-run home run in the fifth to end the game via the run rule.
 
Sage Mardjetko earned the win – her fifth of the season – tossing five innings, allowing one run on two hits. She walked one and struck out six.
 
GAME TWO: #5 TENNESSEE 3, #4 UCLA 4
Tennessee jumped out to an early lead against UCLA, using three RBI singles from Pannell, Amayah Doyle, and Destiny Rodriguez to score three runs in the first inning.
 
The Lady Vols were sharp defensively, with Laura Mealer making a diving grab on a lineout in the first inning. Tennessee also turned a double play in the second and kept UCLA’s runners out of scoring position until the fifth.
 
Karlyn Pickens started in the circle, pitching four innings. In the fifth, the Bruins loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, prompting a pitching change with Mardjetko entering the circle. The Bruins broke through with an RBI ground out, followed by a three-run home run. The first three runs were charged to Pickens with the fourth run going against Mardjetko.
 
Pickens finished her outing with three runs allowed on four hits, one walk, and a strikeout. Mardjetko gave up one run on three hits and notched one strikeout. She took the loss and is now 5-1 on the season.
 
DUE UP
Tennessee wraps up its stay in Cathedral City on Saturday with a game against Minnesota. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.