A New Market man is arrested following an investigation into child sexual exploitation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 59 year-old Leslie Byrd was arrested after deputies went to a home on Fielden Store Road Thursday for suspicious activity and found evidence of possible child sex crimes.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and Internet Crimes Against Children were called to help in the investigation.
Byrd is charged with three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful photography, aggravated sexual battery and unlawful possession of a child-like sex doll. Byrd is being held on a $500,000 bond.
A New Market man is arrested following an investigation into child sexual exploitation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 59 year-old Leslie Byrd was arrested after deputies went to a home on Fielden Store Road Thursday for suspicious activity and found evidence of possible child sex crimes.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division and Internet Crimes Against Children were called to help in the investigation.
Byrd is charged with three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful photography, aggravated sexual battery and unlawful possession of a child-like sex doll. Byrd is being held on a $500,000 bond.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1/1 Tennessee completed its series sweep of South Carolina with a 7-2 win over the Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Founders Park in Columbia.
Despite a slow start, the Volunteers’ unrelenting offense got things going in the middle innings and never looked back, finishing with 12 hits on the day.
Hunter Ensley led the way with a four-hit day, recording three singles to go along with his fourth home run of the year while also driving in three runs. Dalton Bargo and Andrew Fischer also finished with multiple hits for the Orange and White.
USC starting pitcher Matthew Becker cruised through the opening three innings, setting down all nine of UT’s hitters in order before running into trouble the second time through the order.
The first four batters all reached base in the top of the fourth as the Big Orange went on to plate three runs on four hits in the inning. Ensley got the scoring started with a two-run single before freshman Manny Marin drove in Ensley with a two-out single later in the frame to put the Vols ahead 3-1.
Tennessee added two more runs in the fifth inning on RBI hits by Bargo and Reese Chapman to extend its lead to four.
Freshman righthander Tegan Kuhns rebounded well from a rocky start. The Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, native, allowed the first three batters of the game to reach base, but recovered well to retire the next three batters and held the Gamecocks to just one run in the frame.
Kuhns was relieved by fellow freshman Brayden Krezel in the top of the fifth after giving up six hits – all singles – and just the one run in four innings of work.
After Carolina scored in the bottom of the sixth to cut its deficit to three runs, the Vols responded immediately with back-to-back solo blasts from Ensley and Andrew Fischer in the seventh to make it a 7-2 game and cap the scoring for the afternoon.
Bargo Stays Scorching Hot in SEC Play
After another big weekend at the dish, Bargo continued his torrid start to SEC play. The junior utility man led the team with a .500 batting average and five runs scored while tying for the team lead with six hits for the series. Bargo is hitting at a team-high .464 clip in league play with a pair of homers and seven RBIs.
Krenzel Impresses Again
The freshman righty put together another impressive outing in relief, tossing a career-high five innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Krenzel struck out four and allowed just one run on four hits.
Another SEC Sweep
UT completed its 18th sweep in SEC play under head coach Tony Vitello with Sunday’s victory. The Vols have now swept multiple conference series in each of the past five seasons.
Up Next
Tennessee will be home for four games next week, starting with an in-state midweek contest against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Texas A&M next weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 20 Tennessee, seeded No. 5 in the Birmingham Regional, fought tooth and nail with top-seeded and fifth-ranked Texas before falling, 67-59, in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Sweet 16 at Legacy Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Vols (24-10) and Longhorns (34-3) were tied after three quarters, and the Big Orange knotted the score twice in the fourth period. After Texas built a four-point lead with 6:19 remaining, Kim Caldwell‘s squad fought back within one, 59-58, by the 4:53 mark but could not get over the hump.
Texas was led by Madison Booker, who tossed in 17 points, while Jordan Lee added 13 and Taylor Jones and Bryanna Preston chipped in 12 apiece.
Talaysia Cooper started the game with a three for Tennessee, and with buckets from Spearman, Jewel Spear and Spencer, the Lady Vols built a 9-4 lead by the 6:20 mark. Texas cut the gap to one, 9-8, with 5:42 left before an Alyssa Latham pullup jumper sent UT into the 4:37 media timeout possessing an 11-8 lead. A pair of Jillian Hollingshead free throws after the timeout extended the Big Orange lead to 13-8, but Texas stormed back with a 13-0 run to close out the first frame with a 21-13 advantage.
Tennessee ended the Longhorn spree with a steal and layup by Whitehorn to open the second stanza and got a Cooper jumper to trim the gap to four, 21-17, by the 8:46 mark. After Texas responded with a pair of buckets, layups by Spencer, Whitehorn and Spearman capped a 10-4 burst and pulled their team within two, 25-23, by the 4:35 media break. After Texas pushed ahead 28-23, a Tess Darby layup on a back-door pass from Latham and a Whitehorn trey knotted the contest at 28 with 2:07 on the clock. A pair of Jones free throws and a layup by Preston, however, boosted the Longhorns back in front, 32-28, with 1:23 to go. After Preston scored again with 30 seconds left, Whitehorn drove for a layup to send her squad into the locker room trailing by just four, 34-30, after the opening 20 minutes despite being outshot from the field 56 to 38 percent.
Texas extended its lead to seven in the third period, 41-34, with 6:57 left, but three-pointers by Darby, Spencer and Spearman pulled Tennessee within two, 45-43, before the teams caught their breath at the 4:49 media timeout. After a pair of Booker free throws moved Texas ahead, 47-43, with 4:11 to go, a Spearman put-back and Spencer layup tied it at 47, and then a Whitehorn layup gave the Big Orange its first lead since the first quarter at 49-47. A Lee three put the Longhorns back on top, 50-49, with 25 ticks left, but a Whitehorn free throw with a second on the clock deadlocked the teams at 50 heading into the final frame.
The Lady Vols grabbed the lead twice at 52-50 and again at 54-52 in the early going of the fourth period on buckets by Spearman and Cooper. A 6-0 burst by Texas, though, gave it a four-point lead at 58-54 with 6:19 left. A Spencer layup ended the run and trimmed the gap to two, 58-56, with 5:56 remaining before a Booker free throw sent the Longhorns into the 5:00 media break with a 59-56 advantage. A Whitehorn layup cut the deficit to one, 59-58, at the 4:53 mark, but Texas responded with back-to-back buckets to pull ahead, 63-58, with 3:59 to go. A Spencer free throw trimmed the gap to 63-59 at the 3:43 mark, but Texas was able to hold the Lady Vols scoreless the rest of the way and hit four free throws to close out the win.
ROCKIN’ RUBY:Ruby Whitehorn led the team with 16 points against the Longhorns. The junior tallied her 23rd game of the season in double figures and the 61st of her career. Whitehorn also added two assists, a rebound and a steal.
SPEARMAN SOLID IN THE PAINT: Zee Spearman contributed 13 points and a team-leading seven rebounds vs. Texas and helped Tennessee win the rebounding battle, 39-36, and outscore Texas on second chance points, 15-4. The junior was in double figures for the 23rd time this season and the 36th time in her career and paced her team in rebounding for the 11th occasion.
ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE FROM SAM:Samara Spencer produced an all-around effort, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. The senior racked up her 21st game in double-digits and the 94th of her career, and she brought her assist total in 2024-25 to 158 to tie for 10th on UT’s single-season list.
SPEAR FINAL NUMBERS:Jewel Spear concluded her college career scoring 2,217 points (832 at UT) over 154 games to finish seventh on the all-time UT points list, including transfers. She made 77 three pointers in 203 attempts in 2024-25 to post the No. 5 and No. 3 season totals in school history. Her career sums in two years at Tennessee include 146 treys and 388 attempts, placing her 10th and ninth, respectively.
DARBY WRAPS UP FIVE YEARS: Tess Darby concluded her five-year career as a Lady Vol, tying Nicky Anosike (2004-08) for the second-most games played with 146. The Greenfield, Tenn., native finished with 228 three-pointers and 626 attempts during her time on Rocky Top, finishing fifth in makes and tying Shanna Zolman (2002-06) at third for most tries.
COOP ON SINGLE-SEASON STEALS LIST: Talaysia Cooper grabbed one steal vs. Texas to finish her campaign with 105, tying her for sixth all-time by a Lady Vol with Bridgette Gordon (1988-89).
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A pair of late-inning home runs by Andrew Fischer and Cannon Peebles propelled No. 1/1 Tennessee to a thrilling 7-5 victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Founders Park.
After three scoreless innings to start the game, Tennessee (25-2, 7-1 SEC) broke the deadlock with a three-run homer by Reese Chapman in the fourth inning. It was Chapman’s eighth long ball of the year and put him in the team lead with 32 RBIs.
South Carolina (17-11, 1-7 SEC) answered by scoring the next four runs of the contest to take a 4-3 lead into the final three innings.
The Big Orange retook the lead on Fischer’s two-out, two-run blast to center field in the top of the eighth. The junior first baseman went on to help turn an impressive 3-6-3 double play in the bottom of the inning to end the frame and keep the Gamecocks from retaking the lead.
Knotted up at five headed into the ninth inning, Peebles provided the game-winning swing, depositing his fourth home run of the season into the USC bullpen in right center to put the Vols ahead 7-5.
UT turned another crucial double play in the bottom of the ninth to help Nate Snead finish off the victory. The junior righthander tossed 3.2 innings of relief to improve to 2-0 on the year after Marcus Phillips gave the Vols another solid start, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven batters over five innings of work.
Win Streaks Extend
Saturday’s series-clinching win marked Tennessee’s sixth straight series victory over South Carolina and also extended UT’s incredible streak of SEC series victories to 12 straight, adding on to the program record.
The six consecutive series wins and six straight victories overall against the Gamecocks are both the most in a row for the Big Orange in the series’ history.
Clutch In the Late Innings
Thanks to its four runs over the final two frames, the Vols earned their first win of the year when trailing after seven innings.
Up Next
Tennessee will go for the series sweep in Sunday’s series finale, which has been moved up to a noon ET start with the threat of inclement weather later in the day.
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 9 Tennessee dropped a hard-fought 4-1 decision to No. 2 Oklahoma on Saturday at Love’s Field, setting the stage for a decisive rubber match on Sunday.
Tennessee (28-7, 4-4 SEC) tallied four hits in the contest, with redshirt sophomore Taylor Pannell accounting for the Lady Vols’ only run. Trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning, Pannell led off the frame with a solo home run that caromed off the top of the wall. The blast, her team-leading 12th of the season, briefly sparked the Tennessee offense.
Oklahoma (31-2, 9-2 SEC) capitalized on timely hitting and patient plate discipline, scoring all four of its runs with two outs. The Sooners’ offense was fueled by five hits and four walks on the day.
The Sooners struck first in the opening inning, when a fly ball to right field was lost in the sun and dropped for an RBI triple. OU added to its lead in the third, with a two-out, three-run home run to left-center field.
Tennessee had an early scoring opportunity, as Saviya Morgan led off the game with a bunt single before stealing second. Pannell followed with an infield single and then stole second herself, putting runners on the corners with one out. However, Oklahoma escaped the threat with a pop-up and a groundout to end the inning.
IN THE CIRCLE For the second consecutive day, sophomore Sage Mardjetko started in the circle for Tennessee. Mardjetko (8-2) took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and a strikeout over three innings of work.
Freshman Erin Nuwer came on in relief to start the fourth inning and delivered a strong performance. Nuwer allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two in her three innings of shutout work.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS Pannell was the standout for Tennessee, going 3-for-3 with her solo home run. She is now 4-for-7 on the weekend and also stole a base in the first inning, her seventh of the season.
Morgan added a hit in a 1-for-3 effort, and her stolen base in the opening frame was her 20th of the season.
DUE UP Tennessee and Oklahoma will meet in the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on SECN+.
INDIANAPOLIS – Facing its archrival in the Sweet 16, the second-seeded University of Tennessee men’s basketball team controlled play from start to finish Friday night in a convincing 78-65 victory over third-seeded Kentucky.
Taking on a conference foe in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, sixth-ranked Tennessee (30-7, 12-6 SEC) trailed for just 32 seconds and led by as many as 19 points in front of 28,968 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler led all players in points (18) and assists (10), to send the program to the Elite Eight for the third time ever and second in a row.
The Volunteers, behind seven early points from Zeigler, took a 17-7 lead after just 7:48 of action. They went on a 13-3 run over 4:37, aided by holding Kentucky (24-12, 10-8 SEC) without a point for 3:30. The Wildcats soon cut the margin to six, put Tennessee answered with a 6-0 burst in just 55 seconds—it included an assist by Zeigler to break the SEC single-season record—to go up by a dozen, 27-15, with 8:26 on the first-half timer.
Tennessee, buoyed by an 8-0 run in 2:31, extended its margin all the way to a game-best 19, 39-20, with 3:04 remaining in the session. The Volunteers, who had an 8-of-11 field-goal shooting stretch, went 5:09 without allowing a made field goal, including 4:13 during which they did not concede a point.
Kentucky closed the half with an 8-4 burst in the final 2:12, including a 7-2 count in the last 1:17 capped with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, to make it a 15-point margin, 43-28, at the intermission. Zeigler scored 13 first-half points for Tennessee, which went 50.0 percent (16-of-32) from the field and 72.7 percent (8-of-11) at the line in the opening 20 minutes and had a 13-4 edge in second-chance points. The Wildcats had respective 38.5 percent (10-of-26) and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) shooting tallies at the other end.
Tennessee’s advantage sat between 13 and 15 for all but 17 seconds—it was 17 during that time—of the first eight-and-half minutes of the second half. Kentucky got the cushion down to 12, 55-43, on a three-point play with 11:17 to go, but fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier drilled a 3-pointer just 39 seconds later to make it 15 again.
The Wildcats soon closed within 12 again, but Tennessee answered with five points—a putback dunk by junior forward Felix Okpara and a 3-pointer by Zeigler after a steal in the backcourt—in just six seconds to go ahead by 17, 65-48, with 8:37 left. A free throw on the next possession made it 66-48 just 48 ticks later.
Kentucky, behind a 7-of-8 field-goal stretch and a span of 3:37 during which the Volunteers did not make a field goal, trimmed its deficit to 13, 68-55, with 5:33 to go. Senior guard Jordan Gainey threw down a dunk 32 seconds later, Zeigler followed 40 seconds after that with a pair of free throws and Tennessee regained a 17-point advantage with just 4:21 on the clock.
The Volunteers stretched their lead to 18, 74-56, just 48 ticks after that. Kentucky notched nine of the final 13 points to make it a 13-point final margin, as Tennessee avenged its two regular season setbacks against the Wildcats. The victors led by double digits for the final 28:54, including by 12-plus for the last 25:34.
Zeigler posted his third-career NCAA Tournament double-double with points and assists, something no other Volunteer has done even once. It marked his second such outing in the last three games. The Long Island, N.Y., native shot 6-of-7 from the line and 2-of-6 on 3-pointers, adding one steal.
Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier finished with 17 points, registering 11 in the second half. Gainey amassed 16 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 at the line. Okpara had eight points on 4-of-5 shooting to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds, while senior guard Jahmai Mashack set a program NCAA Tournament record with a career-high-tying five steals.
Graduate guard Lamont Butler scored 18 points for Kentucky, matching Zeigler for the game lead. He paced the Wildcats with six rebounds, co-led the team with three assists and shot 4-of-5 beyond the arc, while the rest of the team was just 2-of-10.
Graduate center Amari Williams had 14 points and tied Butler with three assists. Junior guard Otega Oweh totaled 13 points in the setback.
The victory pushed Tennessee’s win total to 30, the third time it has ever hit that mark and the second in the last seven years under head coach Rick Barnes, who also became Division I’s active wins leader with the triumph.
Tennessee compiled a 14-7 edge on the offensive glass that led to a 19-5 margin in second-chance points. It also had a 23-6 ledger bench points and shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the floor.
The Volunteers will take the Lucas Oil Stadium court Sunday at 2:20 p.m., live on CBS, for an Elite Eight matchup with either second-ranked, top-seeded Houston or No. 22-ranked, fourth-seeded Purdue.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES • The 28,968 fans in attendance Friday marked the second-largest crowd ever to watch a Tennessee game, trailing only the 41,072 who watched the Volunteers play Michigan in the same building on March 28, 2014. • Barnes upped his career win total to 836, passing John Calipari for sole possession of the ninth-most all-time (min. 10 years in Division I) and for the most among active coaches. • Barnes also upped his career NCAA Tournament record to 33-28, good for the sixth-most victories of any active Division I head coach and the second-most in the SEC. • This is the fifth time Barnes has led his team to the Elite Eight, including the second in seven NCAA Tournament appearances at Tennessee. • The Volunteers improved to 31-27 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 27-25 in regulation, 3-8 in the Sweet 16, 12-6 under Barnes, 4-5 in Indiana, 3-4 in Indianapolis and 1-0 against Kentucky. • Tennessee is now 11-4 as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as well as 2-2 against No. 3 seeds, 14-21 versus singles-digit seeds and 26-11 against lower seeds. • Friday marked the first time in 58 NCAA Tournament contests, across 27 different seasons, the Volunteers played a fellow SEC program in the event. • The Volunteers improved to 1-1 all-time in postseason play against fellow SEC teams, as they dropped an 89-85 road decision at Vanderbilt on March 19, 1990, in the NIT. • Tennessee has now reached the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever after having one prior berth in program history. • The Volunteers are one of three teams to already clinch a second straight Elite Eight berth, alongside Alabama and Duke, while Purdue also has the chance to do so. • Friday marked the fifth straight AP top-25 showdown—both teams were in the top 20 for all five—between Tennessee and Kentucky. • The Volunteers upped their all-time win total against Kentucky to 79, good for 29 more than any other team, as Vanderbilt ranks second with 50 victories. • The 27 all-time NCAA Tournament teams in Tennessee history now possess a 29-30 record versus Kentucky in those seasons, including a 4-2 ledger at neutral sites. • Tennessee improved to 12-12 versus Kentucky in Barnes’ tenure, good for five more wins than any other school in that time period (2015-25), as Alabama and Auburn own seven each. • Barnes has guided Tennessee to an 11-8 record versus AP top-25 Kentucky teams during his tenure, good for five more victories than any other program during that time, as Auburn and Kansas have five such wins apiece. • The Volunteers moved to 8-5 in AP top-25 clashes against Kentucky under Barnes, including 6-4 with both in the top 20. • In the Barnes era, Tennessee now possesses a 7-7 record away from home against the Wildcats, including a 3-1 tally on neutral courts. • Across his 10 seasons as the head coach at Tennessee, Barnes has now defeated Kentucky at least once in nine of them, with 2022-23 the lone exception. • Barnes, who has two more wins over the Wildcats than any other active head coach (11 by Bruce Pearl), improved to 13-14 against Kentucky in his head coaching career, matching Dean Smith for the sixth-most such wins by any coach all-time. • Friday marked the seventh straight series meetings—all over the last three seasons—with Tennessee ranked above Kentucky, three greater than its prior longest stretch in series history. • The Volunteers dropped both their regular season matchups with the Wildcats—they came in a 15-day span from Jan. 28 to Feb. 11—before defeating them Friday in the NCAA Tournament. • Barnes now owns 187 wins over programs with a national championship, including 47 in his 10 years at Tennessee and seven—Louisville, Virginia, Baylor, Syracuse, Arkansas, Florida, UCLA and Kentucky—this season. • This is the fourth 30-win campaign of Barnes’ career, passing Mick Cronin and Bruce Pearl for sole possession of seventh-most among active Division I head coaches. • Tennessee has reached the 30-win mark for the third time ever, including the second in Barnes’ tenure, with the 2024-25 campaign joining 2018-19 (31-6) and 2007-08 (31-5). • The Volunteers upped their record to 38-27 (.585) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 10-5 (.667) in 2024-25. • The above overall record features a 26-14 (.650) tally since Feb. 26, 2022, and a 17-7 (.708) figure since Dec. 9, 2023. • The Volunteers’ record in AP top-20 meetings in the Barnes era moved to 30-20 (.600). • Tennessee improved to 44-42 (.512) versus AP top-25 opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 28-15 (.651) since Jan. 22, 2022. • The Volunteers moved to 38-34 (.528) against AP top-20 teams under Barnes, including 24-11 (.686) dating to Jan. 22, 2022. • Tennessee now possesses 10 AP top-25 victories this season, three more than it has ever posted in a prior campaign in program history. • This is the fifth time in program history Tennessee has played 37 games in a single season, joining 2018-19, 2013-14, 2009-10 and 1984-85. • Kentucky committed seven personal fouls in the opening 12:03 of the contest, putting Tennessee in the bonus with 7:57 left in the first half. • The Wildcats registered six dunks, good for the most by any Tennessee foe this year, eclipsing the mark of four they set themselves Jan. 28 in Knoxville, Tenn. • Graduate forward Andrew Carr compiled three dunks for Kentucky, becoming the first Tennessee opponent to surpass two in a game in 2024-25. • Tennessee has conceded 35 or fewer first-half points in 30 of its 37 contests thus far, including 29 or fewer on 18 occasions and 23 or fewer eight times. • The Volunteers have held a halftime advantage in 25 of their 37 outings this season, including a margin of seven-plus points 16 times, double digits 12 times, 12-plus 11 times, 14-plus nine times, 20-plus four times and 23-plus thrice. • The Volunteers have held a lead of 15-plus points in 22 of their 37 contests this season, including leading by 18-plus in 20 of them, 20-plus in 15, 26-plus in 11 and 32-plus in five. • Twenty-one of Tennessee’s 29 wins are by double digits, with 19 by 12-plus points, nine by at least 20, four by at least 35 and two by 40-plus. • The 10 assists for Zeigler extended his 2024-25 total to 270, passing Ole Miss’ Sean Tuohy (260 in 1979-80) for the SEC single-season record. • Zeigler broke the 45-year-old record on an alley-oop lob for an Okpara dunk with 9:21 remaining in the first half. • The one steal for Zeigler upped his career total to 251, tying Arkansas’ Kareem Reid (1995-99) for ninth place on the SEC’s all-time list. • Zeigler also moved his 2024-25 steal count to 70, becoming the fourth player in program history to reach that mark in a single season, joining LaMarcus Golden (78 in 1993-94), Kennedy Chandler (74 in 2021-22) and JaJuan Smith (73 in 2006-07). • With 35 minutes of action, Zeigler moved his tally in 2024-25 to 1,228, jumping from eighth to fourth on the Tennessee single-season list. • The 35 minutes also pushed Zeigler’s career total to 3,996, surpassing Michael Brooks (3,995 from 1980-83 and 1984-85) for sixth place on the Volunteers’ career leaderboard. • Zeigler’s 18 points moved his career count to 1,551, eclipsing Santiago Vescovi (1,540 from 2019-24) for No. 18 on the program’s all-time leaderboard. • Zeigler now has 15 outings as a collegian with 10-plus assists, seven of which have come during the 2024-25 campaign. • Friday marked the 14th double-double of Zeigler’s career, including his 13th of the points/assists variety and his sixth this season. • The 18 points for Zeigler also increased his career tally in NCAA Tournament play to 107, putting him in the top five on the program’s all-time list. • With two made 3-pointers, Zeigler upped his career count in the NCAA Tournament to 16, moving from sixth to co-fourth on the Tennessee all-time leaderboard. • Zeigler now has three outings in NCAA Tournament action with double-digit assists, matching the total of all other players in program history combined, as well as all three points/assists double-doubles. • Per SEC Network, Zeigler became the first player in SEC history with 18-plus points and 10-plus assists in the Sweet 16 or later. • The 17 points for Lanier increased his total this year to 667, eclipsing Bernard King (661 in 1974-75) for No. 12 on the program’s single-season leaderboard. • With one block, Okpara upped his 2024-25 count to 62, passing Grant Williams (61 in 2016-17) for sole possession of fifth place on the Tennessee single-season list. • The seven offensive rebounds for Okpara extended his count this year to 91, moving him past Kyle Alexander (85 in 2017-18) and Duke Crews (89 in 2006-07) and into a tie with Armani Moore (91 in 2014-15) for the No. 11 spot on the Volunteers’ single-season leaderboard. • Okpara pulled down five offensive rebounds in the first half alone, matching his second most in a full game this season and marking the fourth time—second against Kentucky—he reached that mark in a contest in 2024-25. • Okpara finished the night with seven offensive rebounds, matching the highest mark of his career, recorded twice during his Ohio State tenure: March 19, 2024, versus Cornell in the NIT and Feb. 2, 2024, at Iowa. • The seven offensive boards for Okpara matched the most by a Tennessee player this season, equaling the mark recorded Jan. 15 by senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., against Georgia. • Friday marked the 10th time Okpara has reached double-digit rebounds in a single game, including the third in 2024-25. • Prior to Okpara, the last Volunteer with double-digit rebounds in an NCAA Tournament contest was Josiah-Jordan James, who grabbed 13 on March 19, 2021, versus Oregon State. • The 11 total rebounds for Okpara matched the 10th-highest single-game total by a Volunteer in NCAA Tournament. • Okpara’s seven offensive rebounds also put him one shy of the program’s NCAA Tournament single-game record held by both Jarnell Stokes (March 23, 2014, versus Mercer) and Duke Crews (March 18, 2007, versus Long Beach State). • The only prior time Mashack has notched five steals in a game was Dec. 17, 2024, against Western Carolina. • Mashack’s five steals moved his 2024-25 total all the way to 62, putting him into the top 10 on the program’s single-season list, matching Zeigler’s count in 2023-24 for the No. 10 spot. • After seven prior Volunteers amassed four steals in an NCAA Tournament contest, Mashack became the first to log five. • Mashack now has 16 steals in his career in NCAA Tournament play, matching Josiah-Jordan James (2020-21 to 2023-24) for the most ever by a Volunteer. • Mashack made his 12th appearance in NCAA Tournament competition, breaking a tie with Wayne Chism (2006-07 to 2009-10) for the most in program history. • In addition, Mashack made his 136th overall appearance in a Tennessee uniform, tying Josh Richardson (2011-15) for seventh place on the program all-time list.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Two big innings powered No. 1/1 Tennessee to a series-opening 11-7 victory over South Carolina on Friday night at Founders Park.
With the win, the Volunteers (24-2, 6-1 SEC) won their fifth straight over the Gamecocks (17-10, 1-6 SEC) and have won 10 of the last 11 in the series dating back to 2021.
Both teams got off to hot starts offensively with runs in the opening frame. The Vols opened the scoring with a solo home run by Bargo before the Gamecocks answered with a two-run shot from star slugger Ethan Petry in the bottom of the first to briefly take a 2-1 lead.
UT responded immediately with a five-run second inning to regain the lead. The big inning was aided by a critical error from second baseman Jordan Carrion on a potential double play ball with one on and nobody out.
The Big Orange made sure to make USC pay for the miscue, tying the game on an Antigua sacrifice fly before three straight RBI knocks from Curley, Bargo and Ensley made it a 6-2 game. Ensley put an exclamation point on the scoring outburst with a two-run homer to left field.
The Vols struck for four more runs in the top of the fifth inning, all with two outs, to increase their advantage to eight. Abernathy doubled down the left-field line to score one before Antigua and Curley followed with consecutive RBI singles to bring in three more runs.
Carolina scored the next three runs to cut its deficit to five heading into the seventh inning. UT tacked on its final run in the top of the ninth after a triple by Reese Chapman and a sacrifice fly from Manny Marin to make it 11-5.
The Gamecocks didn’t go away quietly, however, as Henry Kaczmar hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to make it a four-run game before Dylan Loy came on to record the final two outs to end the rally.
Two-Out Hitting
Once again, Tennessee was clutch when it mattered most, scoring eight of its 11 runs with two outs. Seven of the Vols’ 10 hits also came with two away.
Doyle in Double-Digits Again
Starting pitcher Liam Doyle earned the win to improve to 4-1 on the year after striking out 11 batters over 5.2 innings. The junior lefthander has posted double-digit strikeouts four times this season.
Up Next
The Big Orange will look to secure another series win when they square off against the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. on SEC Network+.
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 9 Tennessee snapped No. 2 Oklahoma’s 19-game home winning streak on Friday night at Love’s Field, defeating the Sooners 5-2 in eight innings.
Tied 2-2 heading into the eighth, Tennessee (28-6, 4-3 SEC) took control after McKenna Gibson roped a one-out single to set the stage for Sophia Nugent to be one of several heroes for the Lady Vols. Nugent delivered the go-ahead blow, launching a two-run homer—her ninth of the season—into right-center field to give UT a 4-2 lead. Nugent, a former Sooner, now has 10 multi-RBI games this season.
Tennessee added an insurance run later in the inning when a wild pitch allowed Laura Mealer to score from third, making it 5-2.
Nugent’s heroics wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible defensive play from sophomore Gabby Leach in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second and one out, Leach fielded a single in right field and threw a perfect strike to home plate, cutting down Oklahoma’s base runner by five steps and preventing the Sooners from walking off with a win.
The Lady Vols struck first in the second inning when freshman Amayah Doyle blasted a two-run homer to center field, her third of the season.
Oklahoma (30-2, 8-2 SEC) responded in the third with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1 but couldn’t capitalize further. The Sooners tied the game in the fifth with a solo home run.
IN THE CIRCLE Sage Mardjetko started for Tennessee, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Karlyn Pickens relieved her in the third and tossed 5.2 strong innings, giving up one run on six hits while striking out six. Pickens worked a 1-2-3 inning in both the fourth and eighth frames, including fanning the final two batters to seal the win.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS Junior Laura Mealer was a key contributor, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. The Chapel Hill, Tennessee, native also turned an inning-ending double play in the first, fielding a ball up the middle, stepping on second, and firing to first for the final out.
DUE UP Tennessee and Oklahoma will return to Love’s Field for Game 2 of the series at 2 p.m. ET. The game will air nationally on ESPN.
Sevierville, TN (WOKI) A substitute teacher with Sevier County Schools is facing charges including statutory rape.
According to an arrest warrant from the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Jacqueline Porterfield was charged with statutory rape by an authority figure and sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means.
The warrant alleges that the criminal behavior took place between January and March 2025 while Porterfield worked at the 17-year-old victim’s school and often played a role as a babysitter/parental figure in his life.
Officials with Sevier County Schools say administrators took steps to review Porterfield’s employment status Thursday, adding that she will be suspended from fulfilling any duties with the school system as the process unfolds.
Jacqueline Porterfield, 44 (Courtesy: Sevier County Sheriff’s Office)
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