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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The 11th-ranked Lady Vols claimed their second-straight SEC series win with a 10-1 run-rule victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at Sherri Lee Parker Stadium. Tennessee went yard a season-high five times and recorded their third grand slam of the year off the bat of the birthday girl, freshman designated player McKenna Gibson.
Super senior infielder Ashley Morgan had a career day as she mashed a career-best two homers and tied her career-highs in RBIs (4) and runs (2). The Douglasville, Georgia, native ended the game with a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth to secure the run-rule victory and clinch the series for the Lady Vols.
Senior pitcher Ashley Rogers picked up her fifth win of the season, allowing one hit and striking out four batters across three shutout innings of relief. In the top of the fifth, Rogers had runners on first and second before striking out Madisyn Kennedy looking in an epic, 23-pitch at-bat to end the frame and erase the threat.
After a scoreless first inning, Mississippi State (24-12, 5-4 SEC) struck in the top of the second as Shea Moreno knocked an RBI double to left field, scoring Kennedy from second to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
Tennessee (25-10, 7-4 SEC) notched their first hit of the game in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single by junior center fielder Kiki Milloy. Milloy stole second and advanced to third on a wild throw by Mississippi State catcher Mia Davidson, then freshman Lair Beautae and sophomore Rylie West drew a pair of walks to load the bases for Gibson. The rookie from Santa Clarita, California, sent the eighth pitch she saw high and deep off the light pole in right center for the go-ahead grand slam as Tennessee took a 4-1 lead.
The Lady Vol bats stayed hot with three home runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Zaida Puni kicked things off with a solo shot that bounced off the top and over the left field wall. Gibson reached first thanks to an error by Bulldog infielder Paige Cook before Morgan rocketed a two-run homer to the bleachers in right-center. The Lady Vols went back-to-back as catcher Kelcy Leach followed suit, powering a solo home run over left field for her second of the weekend. Tennessee ultimately scored four runs in the fifth to gain an 8-1 edge over the Bulldogs.
Graduate left-hander Erin Edmoundson came on the pitch the sixth, retiring the side with three pop ups and stranding a base runner to maintain UT’s momentum.
In the bottom of the sixth, junior Anna Fox laid down a bunt single then advanced to second base on Davidson’s throwing error. Morgan wasted no time in her third at-bat of the game, blasting a two-run homer on the first pitch she saw to clinch UT’s second run-rule over the Bulldogs on the weekend with a 10-1 victory.
Tennessee’s five home runs on Sunday tied the second-most in a single game in program history. The Lady Vols have crushed five bombs six times overall, most recently at Mississippi State on April 19, 2015. The program record for home runs in a single game stands at six against Virginia Tech on May 17, 2014.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will travel to Athens, Georgia, and take on the 18th-ranked Bulldogs in a three-game series April 8-10. Friday and Saturday’s games will start at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. and can be streamed on SEC Network+. Sunday’s first pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
-UT Athletics
