#14 Lady Vols Score Eight Unanswered, Top Memphis 8-4 In Midstate Classic

Tuesday, March 15

Columbia, Tenn.

6:30 PM

University of Tennessee

19-6

Memphis

9-16

Memphis

Tennessee

Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics

#14 Lady Vols Score Eight Unanswered, Top Memphis 8-4 In Midstate Classic

March 15, 2022 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Updated Season Stats

COLUMBIA, Tenn. -- The 14th-ranked Lady Vols found themselves in an early hole but scored eight runs unanswered to pick up an 8-4 victory over Memphis at the 2022 Midstate Classic. Senior left fielder Amanda Ayala was the catalyst for Tennessee offensively, hitting 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs to help UT pick up its 10th straight win Tuesday night at the Ridley Sports Complex in Columbia, Tennessee.

Graduate pitcher Erin Edmoundson tossed six scoreless innings of relief and claimed her third win in as many games for the Big Orange. The lefty from Deer Park, Texas, tallied five strikeouts and allowed just one hit on Tuesday, improving her record to 12-1 on the season and lowering her season earned run average to 1.02.

The Tigers came out swinging, racking up four runs on four hits in the top of the first. Cleanup hitter Kendall Lee drove the first run in with a bloop single to left center, then freshman infielder Taylor Smrt cranked a three-run shot down the left field line to provide a 4-0 lead for the Tigers early in the contest.

Tennessee fought right back and cut the deficit to one with three runs scored in the bottom of the first. After Kiki Milloy led off with a single up the middle and stole second, Ayala brought her in with an RBI single through the right side. Ayala scored UT's second run of the inning after Zaida Puni reached on a fielder's choice to second, then freshman DP McKenna Gibson laced an RBI single to left that brought in Rylie West from third to round out the scoring in the opening frame.

With Edmoundson in the circle taming the Tiger bats, the Lady Vols grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Ayala launched a ball high and deep past the fence in dead center for her third home run of the season. The two-run blast scored Ayala and Columbia native Anna Fox to put the Lady Vols ahead 5-4 over the in-state foe.

Redshirt freshman Caliyah Thompson made her second career plate appearance and recorded her first career RBI on a groundout in the fifth, pushing the Tennessee lead to two. The next at-bat, freshman Lair Beautae entered the batter's box as a pinch hitter and perfectly placed a bloop RBI infield single that put the Lady Vols ahead 7-4 through five.

After Edmoundson retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, Puni provided UT with an insurance run as she knocked an RBI single through the right side. The hit scored West from second, who reached earlier in the inning on a throwing error in the Memphis infield.

As a light rain began to trickle down on the championship field of the Ridley Sports Complex, Edmoundson sat down three consecutive batters in the seventh with a strikeout, groundout and pop out to cement the victory for the Lady Vols.

With the win, Tennessee improved to 139-4 all-time against in-state opponents and 6-0 in the all-time series against Memphis.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols return to Sherri Parker Lee for the SEC home opening series against No. 10/12 Arkansas this weekend. The three-game set runs Friday to Sunday, March 18-20, with first pitch for the series opener set for 6 p.m. Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday's games will start at 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively, and all three games will be streamed online via SEC Network+.

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