#17 Lady Vols Blank UC San Diego, Fall To Oregon State At Mary Nutter Classic

Friday, February 25

Cathedral City, Calif.

1:00 PM

University of Tennessee

9-3

UC San Diego

5-6

Tennessee

UC San Diego

Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics

#17 Lady Vols Blank UC San Diego, Fall To Oregon State At Mary Nutter Classic

February 25, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score Updated Season Stats

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- The No. 17 Lady Vol softball team split a pair of games on Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, shutting out UC San Diego, 8-0, in the morning matchup before dropping the afternoon bout with Oregon State, 5-2.

Junior outfielder Kiki Milloy had home runs in both contests and has homered in three consecutive games at the MNCC. The Woodinville, Washington, native leads the Lady Vols with nine RBIs, eight runs scored and four stolen bases over the course of the tournament.

Game 1 - No. 17 Tennessee 8, UC San Diego 0
The Lady Vols were dominant throughout the morning on their way to win No. 9 on the season, claiming a five-inning run-rule shutout over UC San Diego, 8-0.

Tennessee pitchers Erin Edmoundson, Ryleigh White and Nicola Simpson combined for the one-hit shutout and allowed only one base runner the entire game. Edmoundson started and tossed three perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts, while White and Simpson each logged a scoreless frame of their own to keep the Tritons off the board.

After putting up double-digit runs in a pair of wins on Thursday, the Lady Vol offense stayed hot with four runs in the top of the first against UC San Diego. Right fielder Amanda Ayala drove in the first run of the game, plating Milloy from second on a single through the left side. Third baseman Zaida Puni tripled Tennessee's lead as she pushed a two-RBI single through the middle, and freshman 2B Lair Beautae made it 4-0 with an infield RBI single to first base.

Making the start at catcher, sophomore Rylie West drove in Tennessee's fifth run with an RBI single up the middle in the top of the third. The hit knocked in Puni from second, who led the frame off with a double to deep right field.

Milloy put the Lady Vols in run-rule territory with a three-run shot in the top of the third, sending the 1-0 pitch out to left field for her fifth home run of the season and second of the weekend. White and Simpson both came on in relief for the Lady Vols in the fourth and fifth innings, retiring six of seven batters faced to seal the second consecutive run-rule triumph for the Big Orange.

Game 2 - No. 17 Tennessee 2, Oregon State 5
The Oregon State Beavers knocked off No. 17 Tennessee on Friday afternoon, earning a 5-2 win at the Big League Dreams Yankee Stadium field in Cathedral City. Pitcher Mariah Mazon spun a gem, going the distance with 11 strikeouts and one earned run in the winning effort.

Oregon State struck first in the top of the third with an RBI single by Grace Messmer that drove in a pair of runs. The Beaver infielder roped a hit to left that brought home Mazon from second and allowed first baseman Frankie Hammoude to score from first on a Tennessee error in the outfield. Oregon State added a third run the next inning when Madison Simon's solo shot to left center put the Beavers ahead 3-0 in the top of the fourth.

Milloy cut into the deficit with her third home run of the tournament and sixth of the year in the bottom of the fifth, launching a leadoff, opposite-field solo shot to right field to bring the Lady Vols within two.

The Beavers added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh when Mazon sent a two-run homer to right field, scoring herself and leadoff batter Kiki Escobar to give Oregon State a 5-1 edge.

Super senior right fielder Amanda Ayala drove in the final run of the night in the bottom of the seventh, knocking a double to deep left that brought Milloy in from first after reaching on an error. Mazon fanned back-to-back Tennessee batters to end the game and seal a 5-2 win for Oregon State.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols wrap up the Mary Nutter Classic with a lofty doubleheader on Saturday, taking on No. 1 Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m. ET before facing No. 6 UCLA at 6 p.m. Both games will be streamed online via FloSoftball, and a free audio broadcast will be available online at UTSports.com.

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee softball, follow @Vol_Softball on Twitter and Instagram.