Photo by Kyndall Williams/Tennessee Athletics
By Allison Seaton
Knoxville, TN – The No. 9 Lady Vols softball team had to postpone their home debut by one
day, due to a weather delay.
Nevertheless, the team and the fans showed up to the Tennessee Classic in full force. Fans were even decorating the media row.
The Lady Vols ended both games early in the fifth innings. Both games ended with an eight point lead, against Stetson (8-0) and Brown (9-1).
Kiki Milloy was honored for breaking Tennessee’s all time homerun record (59). The record was previously held by Meghan Gregg, a shortstop from 2015-2018.
The game against the Stetson Hatters started off slow. Neither team made it onto the board until the third inning. Sophia Nugent and Amanda Ahlin scored in the bottom of the third (2-0).
“I still felt like we could’ve started a bit faster,” said Karen Weekly, Tennessee’s head coach,
“…especially in that first game, and I think that’s something we need to continue to work on.”
Tennessee showed up and showed out in the bottom of the fifth. Milloy came in hot with a
homerun through center field (3-0). Lauren Mealer tripled up the middle, allowing Nugent and Rylie West to cross home plate (5-0). Zaida Puni hit a home run through the left field, sending Alannah Leach and Mealer home (8-0).
The second game, against Brown, started off stronger than the first. McKenna Gibson sent
herself and Milloy home after hitting a home run to the right field (2-0). Brown managed to get on the board in the top of the third but the Lady Vols were the last to worry (2-1).
The bottom of the third brought in four more runs for Tennessee. Milloy made it home after a double by Gibson. Destiny Rodriguez homered to the left center, sending Puni across the plate as well (6-1).
The Lady Vols scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth, wrapping up their second game of the day (9-1).
The Lady Vols will continue the Tennessee Classic March 3 at 11:30 at Sherri Parker Lee
Stadium.