Edmoundson Blanks 6th-Ranked Gators, Lady Vols Take Series Opener 6-0

Friday, March 25

Gainesville, Fla.

6:00 PM

University of Tennessee

21-8, 4-2

Florida

26-4, 4-3

Tennessee

Florida

Photo by: Forest Jersey/Tennessee Athletics

Edmoundson Blanks 6th-Ranked Gators, Lady Vols Take Series Opener 6-0

March 25, 2022 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Updated Season Stats

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Lady Vol lefty Erin Edmoundson dealt a complete game shutout and the offense provided run support late as No. 14 Tennessee took game one of the series at No. 6 Florida, 6-0, on Friday evening at UF's Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

A graduate student from Deer Park, Texas, Edmoundson twirled seven scoreless frames, scattering six hits and collecting five strikeouts on 116 pitches. The win improved her record to 14-2 on the season, while her career strikeout total now stands at 599.

UT handed Florida senior ace Elizabeth Hightower her first loss of the season as she tossed 5.2 innings with seven hits allowed and three earned runs. The Gators (26-4, 4-3 SEC) have been blanked at least once in each of their three SEC series this season.

Freshman infielder Lair Beautae was a model of consistency for the Lady Vols (21-8, 4-2 SEC) at the plate, roping four singles in a 4-for-4 outing with an RBI and two stolen bases. Ashley Morgan (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) also logged a multi-hit performance, while rookie DP McKenna Gibson smashed her fourth homer of the year and super senior Ivy Davis delivered a two-run single to highlight UT's offensive standouts.

After the first three innings went scoreless, the Lady Vols gained some momentum with a phenomenal defensive effort from All-American center fielder Kiki Milloy in the bottom of the fourth. The Woodinville, Washington, native robbed a home run in right center with an athletic leaping grab to keep the shutout intact, and Tennessee scored in each of the final three frames en route to the top-10 victory.

Gibson gave UT a lead it would not relinquish with a solo blast in the top of the fifth, launching a low pitch high and deep to left field for her fourth home run of the season. Morgan added two insurance runs in the sixth, driving a two-RBI double down the left field line that scored Davis and pinch runner Kaitlin Parsons to give the Lady Vols a three-run cushion through six.

Tennessee erased any doubt and doubled its lead with three runs in the top of the seventh. After Kelcy Leach and Amanda Ayala reached with a single and a double, respectively, Beautae pushed an RBI hit up the middle that plated Lady Vol pinch runner Shakara Goodloe from third. Davis delivered the final blow with a sharply hit grounder through the middle infield that allowed Beautae and Parsons to come home safely and put the Lady Vols ahead 6-0 with three outs remaining.

Edmoundson retired the side in order in bottom half with a lineout to third, a looking strikeout and a pop out to shortstop to seal Tennessee's second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will go for the series win Saturday at 1 p.m. Game two from Gainesville will be streamed online via SEC Network+, and a free online audio broadcast will be available at UTSports.com.

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