Game Recap: Softball | March 09, 2024
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Solid pitching combined with timely hitting propelled No. 8 Tennessee to a 5-0 shutout win over Ohio State at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on Saturday night.
The victory is Tennessee’s ninth shutout of the season and its third straight.
Graduate pitcher Payton Gottshall – a Massillon, Ohio, native – got the start for UT and pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless ball. She shut down Ohio State’s offense, holding it without a hit until the fourth inning.
Gottshall scattered three hits with six strikeouts as she earned her seventh victory of the year.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens came on in relief with two away in the fifth and finished the final 1.1 frames. She closed the door on the Buckeyes and completed the shutout win. Pickens struck out the final batter of the game.
Taylor Pannell had the clutch hit of the night as she roped an RBI triple off the right-field wall in the bottom of the fifth. The hit scored Katie Taylor and Laura Mealer and added a little insurance to Tennessee’s lead.
An error later in the frame allowed Pannell to come home to score UT’s fifth run of the night.
Tennessee finished with six hits on the night, led by Kiki Milloy and McKenna Gibson who each had two. Gibson opened the scoring in the first as she ripped a single down the left-field line that allowed Milloy to come around and score.
Senior Zaida Puni and Pannell picked up the Lady Vols’ other two hits.
Allison Smith started in the circle for Ohio State and pitched a complete game, allowing five runs on six hits. She walked four and struck out five in the loss and is now 6-4.
Tegan Cortelletti picked up OSU’s first hit in the fourth inning on a bunt single. Taylor Heckman and Jasmyn Burns each singled for the Buckeyes.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols close out the Tennessee Classic Sunday afternoon against Ohio State. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed on SEC Network+ or through the WatchESPN app.
