Lady Vols ignite early, top Virginia 7-5 to reach regional final
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After being held to three runs against Northern Kentucky, with just one going into the sixth inning on Friday, the Tennessee Lady Vols wasted no time in Saturday’s win over the Virginia Cavaliers.
Tennessee put together its best offensive performance in a while in just the first inning alone. It all started with Sophia Knight reaching on an error, followed by an Alannah Leach single and Elsa Morrison’s two-RBI double to put the Lady Vols on the board.
Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly expressed afterward the relief of having that immediate showing after Friday’s struggles.
“It was definitely a breath of fresh air, you know,” Weekly told Southeastern Softball Wire.
Tennessee went 3-for-6 in leadoff chances against the Cavaliers, and that can ignite the rest of the lineup. Even though Knight reached on an error in that first inning, she forced it with her speed and determination to get to first base.
“I think a lot of that was keyed with our leadoff hitter getting on to start a game,” Weekly said. “That’s something that we haven’t done in a while. And, you know, when you can get your leadoff hitter on in any inning, good things tend to happen.”
Tennessee passed the bat, made smart decisions and that sparked five runs with the team batting through the order once and Knight seeing the plate twice.
“Then everybody after that, got a pitch they liked and took a good hack at it and put something in play hard. Or like in the case of Taelyn Holley, what a great at bat. Being really disciplined with the bases loaded, not getting, you know, too big, and getting an RBI walk.”
Patience at the plate was evident. Not only did Holley force an eight-pitch walk, but Emma Clarke worked a six-pitch walk, and Bella Faw reached on a 12-pitch at bat that brought in a run.
Tennessee looked focused and locked in from the start, and that five spot was a huge part of the 7-5 win over Virginia. Runs were at a premium after that, but well-timed homers from Emma Clarke and Makenzie Butt gave the Lady Vols what they needed.
Now, Tennessee is advancing to the regional final, and Weekly wants that same focus and intent to carry over to Sunday.
“When we show up, you know, just talking Emma, for example, ready to attack,” Weekly said. “When I’m going after it, and letting it loose. When we do that, good things are gonna happen.
“I’d rather go down swinging like that, than to have regrets, I guess, that I really didn’t play on my toes. So I think the more they can experience that and they know the actions that lead to the kind of game we had today and the results we had, the better for us. So I just want them to come out tomorrow throwing punches.”
