University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, February 17
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
1:30 p.m.
University of Tennessee
5-0
8
vs
0
North Dakota State
3-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
North Dakota State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
Tennessee
0
0
3
0
4
1
8
11
0
#8 Lady Vols Run-Rule North Dakota State, Pickens Shines in First Career Start
February 17, 2023 | Softball
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – In its second game of the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, No. 8 Tennessee secured its second run-rule victory of the weekend as it defeated North Dakota State 8-0 in six innings. In the circle, freshman Karlyn Pickens made her first career start, tossing a complete-game shutout Friday afternoon at Nancy Almaraz Stadium.
The Lady Vols (5-0) racked up 12 hits, while Pickens was dominant inside the pitchers circle, giving up just two hits and striking out four Bison batters.
With the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the third inning, All-American Kiki Milloy got things started for Tennessee with a monster solo home run to center field to give the team a 1-0 lead. Just two batters later, McKenna Gibson joined the party with a two-run home run of her own to put the Lady Vols up 3-0. Milloy and Gibson both went 2-for-3 in the game, with Milloy driving in one run and Gibson driving in a team-high three runs.
Tennessee added another four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning by way of small ball with three RBI singles and an RBI double in the frame. UT got the decisive eighth run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a fielder's choice to the second baseman that scored Mackenzie Donihoo from third base.
Donihoo has started fast this season and continued the trend on Friday as she went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a team-leading three runs. Through five games this season, she leads the team in batting average (.643), hits (9), doubles (6) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored at eight.
Sophomore Taylor Pannell also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Defensively, freshman second baseman Destiny Rodriguez made several spectacular plays to keep North Dakota State off the base paths and limit its ability to string hits together. Rodriguez was also 1-for-3 at the plate.
The Bison (3-6) only mustered a pair of hits coming from Ava Chavarria and pinch hitter Bella Dean. NDSU starting pitcher Lainey Lyle suffered the loss and fell to 1-3 on the year.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will play two games on Saturday, beginning against Cal State Fullerton at 1:30 p.m. ET and concluding with Liberty at 7 p.m.
The Lady Vols (5-0) racked up 12 hits, while Pickens was dominant inside the pitchers circle, giving up just two hits and striking out four Bison batters.
With the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the third inning, All-American Kiki Milloy got things started for Tennessee with a monster solo home run to center field to give the team a 1-0 lead. Just two batters later, McKenna Gibson joined the party with a two-run home run of her own to put the Lady Vols up 3-0. Milloy and Gibson both went 2-for-3 in the game, with Milloy driving in one run and Gibson driving in a team-high three runs.
Tennessee added another four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning by way of small ball with three RBI singles and an RBI double in the frame. UT got the decisive eighth run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a fielder's choice to the second baseman that scored Mackenzie Donihoo from third base.
Donihoo has started fast this season and continued the trend on Friday as she went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a team-leading three runs. Through five games this season, she leads the team in batting average (.643), hits (9), doubles (6) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored at eight.
Sophomore Taylor Pannell also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Defensively, freshman second baseman Destiny Rodriguez made several spectacular plays to keep North Dakota State off the base paths and limit its ability to string hits together. Rodriguez was also 1-for-3 at the plate.
The Bison (3-6) only mustered a pair of hits coming from Ava Chavarria and pinch hitter Bella Dean. NDSU starting pitcher Lainey Lyle suffered the loss and fell to 1-3 on the year.
UP NEXT
Tennessee will play two games on Saturday, beginning against Cal State Fullerton at 1:30 p.m. ET and concluding with Liberty at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pickens, Karlyn (1-0)
L: Lainey Lyle (1-3)
Base Running:
CS: Ava Chavarria 1
Batting:
2B: Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 2 ; Rodriguez, Destiny 1
HR: Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 1
RBI: Milloy, Kiki 1 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Gibson, McKenna 3 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 2 ; Pannell, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Milloy, Kiki 2 ; Donihoo, Mackenzie 3 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Mesusan, Brylee 1 ; Goodloe, Shakara 1
SB: Milloy, Kiki 1
CS: Ahlin, Amanda 1
HBP: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF/C
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