By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team goes way back with the University of Tennessee.
The all-time series dates back to 1996, and while the Golden Eagles are still looking for the first victory against the Lady Vols, Tech has had some close battles, including a pair of 2-0 losses in 2004 at Tyson Park, a 1-0 defeat against Monica Abbott and a 3-0 loss in a doubleheader at Tech Softball Field in 2005, then a 1-0 loss at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville.
The 24th meeting against the No. 4-ranked Lady Vols comes Wednesday night at 5 p.m. Central from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ (subscription required).
The Lady Vols enter the contest with a 16-1 record, the only loss on the year coming to Cal State Fullerton in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge. Tennessee went 5-0 this weekend at its home tournament, allowing just a single run to Belmont in the event, while scoring 47. UT beat Belmont 19-0 on Friday, Appalachian State 8-0 and Jacksonville State 9-0 on Saturday, then the Gamecocks 2-0 and the Bruins 7-1 on Sunday.
Kiki Milloy leads the Lady Vols in average (.500), home runs (10), runs scored (28) and runs batted in (23), while also swiping a team-best 13 bases. McKenna Gibson has 20 RBI and four home runs, while Mackenzie Donihoo (.462, 15 RBI) and Zaida Puni (.410, 19 RBI) are also hitting above .400 on the season.
As a team, the Lady Vols are hitting .357, outscored its opponents 149-10, hit 22 home runs, and collected 133 RBI and 256 total bases. Opponents are hitting .133 with five doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and 61 total bases.
UT has a team ERA of 0.61, with Payton Gottshall (0.29 ERA, 42 Ks) and Ashley Rogers (0.66, 52 Ks) each going 5-0 on the season.
Tech (1-15) went 0-5 last week at the Jane B. Moore Memorial at Auburn, but showed some offensive promise with a 15-10 loss to Bowling Green and an 11-6 loss to host Auburn – the second-most runs the 19th-ranked Tigers have given up this season.
Abby Shoulders leads the Golden Eagles in hitting as the Middle Tennessee transfer has a .368 batting average with six RBI. Tech graduate Haeli Bryson has a team-best nine RBI, while Carmen Betts and Makayli Harris hit the team's first home runs of the season last weekend.
Callie Piper (7.45 ERA, 8 Ks) has the team's lone win in the circle, while Gracelyn Woollen and former Lady Vol Kaylan Cole lead the Golden Eagles in strikeouts with nine.
Following Wednesday's game, the Tech softball team will return home for the two-day Tennessee Tech Tournament, a round-robin with Ohio and Robert Morris on Friday and Saturday.
