University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, February 24
Tampa, Fla.
3 p.m.
University of Tennessee
7-1
13
vs
0
Michigan State
6-5
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Tennessee
5
0
4
1
3
13
10
0
Michigan St
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
#9/12 Lady Vols Run-Rule Michigan State & USF Friday Night
February 24, 2023 | Softball
TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 9/12-ranked Tennessee softball team picked up two run-rule victories Friday night as it opened play at the USF Invitational. The Lady Vols defeated Michigan State 13-0 in five innings before taking down USF 9-0 in six at the USF Softball Stadium.
With two wins, the Lady Vols are now 8-1 on the year.
Ashley Rogers was just about perfect in Tennessee's opening win against USF, tossing a five-inning complete-game shutout as the Orange & White run-ruled Michigan State. The graduate from Athens, Tennessee, struck out eight Spartan batters and did not allow a base runner until the bottom of the fifth inning.
MSU's Sydney Doloszycki broke up the perfect game on a hard-hit single back up the middle at Rogers with two outs on the board in the fifth. Rogers bounced back to strike out the next batter and close out the Lady Vol win – improving her record to 3-0 on the year.
Zaida Puni, Kiki Milloy and Destiny Rodriguez stood out offensively for the Lady Vols. Puni went 6-for-7 over the two games with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs. Milloy was 2-for-6 at the plate, scoring three runs on the day and cranking a game-breaking three-run home run versus USF.
Rodriguez – a true freshman from Live Oak, Texas – collected a pair of hits and drove in a career-high three runs in Tennessee's win over Michigan State.
GAME ONE: #9 Tennessee 13, Michigan State 0
The Lady Vols did not waste any time getting on the board as they pushed five across the plate in the game's first inning. Mackenzie Donihoo – the NCAA leader in doubles per game – led off the first with a double to left before scoring on a McKenna Gibson double.
UT plated four more runs in the inning thanks to two more doubles and a Michigan State error.
The Lady Vols added to the lead in the third, scoring four runs on two hits and two Spartan errors. With runners on first and second, second baseman Destiny Rodriguez lined a single into the gap in left to score Brylee Mesusan. Amanda Ahlin then reached on an error that allowed Katie Taylor to come home for UT's seventh run of the game.
Ahlin then put pressure on the defense as she stole second. A throwing error on the play saw the ball leak into the outfield as Shakara Goodloe broke for home and scored as Ahlin jumped up to advance to third. Ahlin then scored on a Donihoo grounder to second.
In the fourth, Taylor hit her first-career home run into Tennessee's bullpen beyond the left field wall, increasing UT's lead to 10-0. The sophomore outfielder finished the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Tennessee reached its final margin of victory at 13-0 courtesy of a two-RBI single from Zaida Puni and a sacrifice fly by Jamison Brockenbrough.
GAME TWO: #9 Tennessee 9, USF 0
USF kept the Tennessee bats silent through four before Kiki Milloy crushed a three-run home run off the scoreboard in right center to break the deadlock in the top half of the fifth. The home run was Milloy's sixth of the year.
UT added to the lead in the sixth, pushing six runs across the plate. The Lady Vols used small ball to increase the lead, stringing together seven hits and taking advantage of a USF error to secure their second run-rule win of the night at 9-0.
Transfer Payton Gottshall was excellent in the pitcher's circle, tossing a complete-game shutout to pick up her third win of the season. The right hander from Massillon, Ohio, struck out a season-high 11 USF batters and allowed just one hit – notching UT's second one-hit game of the day following Rogers' one hitter against Michigan State.
CHASING HISTORY
With Tennessee's two wins on Friday night, head coach Karen Weekly is now two wins away from 1,000 during her coaching career on Rocky Top.
UP NEXT
Tennessee is slated to play two more games Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET against No. 5 Clemson. It will return to the ballpark at 4:30 p.m. to face UIC.
With two wins, the Lady Vols are now 8-1 on the year.
Ashley Rogers was just about perfect in Tennessee's opening win against USF, tossing a five-inning complete-game shutout as the Orange & White run-ruled Michigan State. The graduate from Athens, Tennessee, struck out eight Spartan batters and did not allow a base runner until the bottom of the fifth inning.
MSU's Sydney Doloszycki broke up the perfect game on a hard-hit single back up the middle at Rogers with two outs on the board in the fifth. Rogers bounced back to strike out the next batter and close out the Lady Vol win – improving her record to 3-0 on the year.
Zaida Puni, Kiki Milloy and Destiny Rodriguez stood out offensively for the Lady Vols. Puni went 6-for-7 over the two games with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs. Milloy was 2-for-6 at the plate, scoring three runs on the day and cranking a game-breaking three-run home run versus USF.
Rodriguez – a true freshman from Live Oak, Texas – collected a pair of hits and drove in a career-high three runs in Tennessee's win over Michigan State.
GAME ONE: #9 Tennessee 13, Michigan State 0
The Lady Vols did not waste any time getting on the board as they pushed five across the plate in the game's first inning. Mackenzie Donihoo – the NCAA leader in doubles per game – led off the first with a double to left before scoring on a McKenna Gibson double.
UT plated four more runs in the inning thanks to two more doubles and a Michigan State error.
The Lady Vols added to the lead in the third, scoring four runs on two hits and two Spartan errors. With runners on first and second, second baseman Destiny Rodriguez lined a single into the gap in left to score Brylee Mesusan. Amanda Ahlin then reached on an error that allowed Katie Taylor to come home for UT's seventh run of the game.
Ahlin then put pressure on the defense as she stole second. A throwing error on the play saw the ball leak into the outfield as Shakara Goodloe broke for home and scored as Ahlin jumped up to advance to third. Ahlin then scored on a Donihoo grounder to second.
In the fourth, Taylor hit her first-career home run into Tennessee's bullpen beyond the left field wall, increasing UT's lead to 10-0. The sophomore outfielder finished the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Tennessee reached its final margin of victory at 13-0 courtesy of a two-RBI single from Zaida Puni and a sacrifice fly by Jamison Brockenbrough.
GAME TWO: #9 Tennessee 9, USF 0
USF kept the Tennessee bats silent through four before Kiki Milloy crushed a three-run home run off the scoreboard in right center to break the deadlock in the top half of the fifth. The home run was Milloy's sixth of the year.
UT added to the lead in the sixth, pushing six runs across the plate. The Lady Vols used small ball to increase the lead, stringing together seven hits and taking advantage of a USF error to secure their second run-rule win of the night at 9-0.
Transfer Payton Gottshall was excellent in the pitcher's circle, tossing a complete-game shutout to pick up her third win of the season. The right hander from Massillon, Ohio, struck out a season-high 11 USF batters and allowed just one hit – notching UT's second one-hit game of the day following Rogers' one hitter against Michigan State.
CHASING HISTORY
With Tennessee's two wins on Friday night, head coach Karen Weekly is now two wins away from 1,000 during her coaching career on Rocky Top.
UP NEXT
Tennessee is slated to play two more games Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET against No. 5 Clemson. It will return to the ballpark at 4:30 p.m. to face UIC.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rogers, Ashley (3-0)
L: Guidry, F. (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Puni, Zaida 1 ; West, Rylie 1 ; Taylor, Katie 1
HR: Taylor, Katie 1
RBI: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Puni, Zaida 3 ; Brockenbrough, Jamison 1 ; Taylor, Katie 2 ; Rodriguez, Destiny 3 ; Ahlin, Amanda 1
SF: Brockenbrough, Jamison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Donihoo, Mackenzie 2 ; Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Puni, Zaida 2 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 1 ; Mesusan, Brylee 1 ; Taylor, Katie 3 ; Goodloe, Shakara 1 ; Ahlin, Amanda 1
SB: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Ahlin, Amanda 1
HBP: Kirkpatrick, Jackie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF/C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
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