KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing their first extra-inning game of the season, the Lady Vols won a back-and-forth affair over Toledo, 10-9 Saturday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
With the game tied at 9-9 in the bottom of the ninth, junior Amanda Ayala stepped to the plate and delivered the game-winning hit – a sacrifice fly to left field – to drive home freshman Josie Willingham from third. Willingham drew a leadoff walk to start the inning before advancing to third on a single from Chelsea Seggern.
Ayala went 3-for-5 on Saturday with four RBIs, two doubles and two runs scored.
The win moved Tennessee to 12-8 on the year.
Toledo (9-7) scored first in the fourth with two runs before adding another score in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. However, Tennessee raked its way back with two away in the bottom of the fifth and the bases loaded. Sophomore Ally Shipman (2-for-3) drove a payoff pitch to left center field for a bases clearing and game-tying double.
After the Rockets scored in the top half of the sixth, the Lady Vols responded with a two-out double from Ayala in the bottom half of the inning, bringing in a pair to take a 5-4 lead.
Down to its final out in the top of the seventh, Taylor Weekly, the granddaughter of UT’s co-head coach Ralph Weekly, scored for Toledo on a wild pitch before Raquel Emery singled home Leah Munson as the Rockets regained the lead, 6-5.
The closely-contested battle continued with Ashley Morgan (2-for-3) singling home Shipman with one out to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh.
Toledo and Tennessee traded a pair of three-run halves in the eighth before the Lady Vols held the Rockets scoreless in the ninth.
Anna Hazelwood threw just one inning for UT but picked up her first-career win. Samantha Bender got the start and tossed 5.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and striking out one. Callie Turner came on in relief, throwing 2.1 innings, and allowed three runs on three hits while striking out four batters.
Erin Hunt went the distance for Toledo, taking the loss and falling to 7-2 on the year. Hunt threw 183 pitches in defeat, allowing 10 runs on 14 hits.
Next Up
Tennessee will be back in action Saturday evening against ETSU. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed on SECN+.
-UT Athletics
