By Lohan Sutton
The No. 4-ranked Tennessee softball team came out hungry for a bounce-back victory Tuesday night, and they delivered against the Golden Eagles.
Erin Nuwer took the circle for the Lady Vols and was locked in from the start and backed by a rock-solid defense. After an early error put a runner on, the Lady Vols quickly shut the door with a clutch fielder’s choice to escape the inning.
The offense exploded in the second when Maddi Rutan launched a massive two-run shot to left field, giving Tennessee the early 2-0 lead.
Tennessee Tech could not touch what Nuwer was throwing as they remained hitless.
The bats caught fire in the fourth. Sophia Knight kicked it off with a leadoff triple, Makenzie Butt ripped a single to score her, and Emma Clarke drove in another run off an error. It was 4-0 Lady Vols.
Nuwer stayed perfect in the fifth with another three-up, three-down masterpiece.
The Lady Vols loaded the bases in the fifth inning with the first two batters being hit-by-pitch and a perfect bunt by Knight. Elsa Morrison delivered a sac fly to make it 5-0 Tennessee.
Later in the inning, Maredith Barnhart crushed a two-run double down the right field line to blow open the game at 7-0.
“It’s a product of us having a better approach to play. We were really locked in to getting the bat off our shoulders in the first three pitches,” said Tennessee Head Coach Karen Weekly.
The sixth inning was more of the same for the Lady Vols defense, a quick three-up, three-down from Nuwer and the defense.
“Just attacking the zone, knowing my defense has my back. We saw a lot of ground balls they ate up no problem today,” said Nuwer.
The bottom of the sixth was highlighted by Alannah Leach stepping up in the leadoff spot to crush a home run to right field, ending the game by mercy rule, 8-0.
Nuwer earned the complete game no-hitter with three strikeouts in just six innings of defensive dominance.
The Lady Vols improved to 29-3 and earned a much-needed bounce-back win.
Next up, an SEC home series against Ole Miss, kicking off this Friday at 6 p.m. EST.