TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: Graduate Kiki Milloy became the all-time leader in runs scored at UT, and No. 4 Tennessee defeated No. 17 Alabama 5-0 in a shutout on Friday night at Rhoads Stadium, marking head coach Karen Weekly’s 1,300th career victory.
In Tuscaloosa, Tennessee (36-8, 15-4 SEC) used two two-run innings to win the opening game. UT scored once in the first, then again in the fifth before accounting for its fourth and fifth runs of the game in the seventh on a two-run home drive.
Zaida Puni, a senior, spearheaded the attack by hitting 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Tennessee gained some insurance in the top of the seventh inning thanks to her two-run home bomb. She had a team-high 12 blasts during the year
Milloy scored three runs, had a double, and was 2-for-3 at the plate. She surpassed LVFL Aubrey Leach for the most runs in program history with her third run of the game in the seventh inning, marking her 256th career run.
Tennesse’s graduate pitcher Payton Gottshall received the start and threw her sixth full game while recording her second shutout. In her 18th victory, the right-hander dispersed three hits, walked two, and struck out four.
Giulia Koutsoyanopulos scored one run and collected two hits, a double and a single. Taylor Pannell, McKenna Gibson, and Sophia Nugent completed Tennessee’s ten hits.
Kayla Beaver of Alabama (31-13, 8-11 SEC) took the mound first and was able to pitch six innings. She had four strikeouts, two walks, and three runs (one earned) on eight hits. When Jaala Torrence entered the game in the seventh, he gave up two runs on two hits and only struck out one.
It was Beaver’s seventh defeat of the year.
The three hits for Alabama on the evening came from Bailey Dowling, Kristen White, and Kali Heivilin.
DAY’S STAT
During the season, Tennessee is 34-0 when scoring three runs or more, and they are 31-0 while leading after the fourth inning.
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