Softball Preview: Austin Peay

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Riding a six-game winning streak, the No. 16 Lady Vol softball team will round out its seven-game home stand Tuesday when the Austin Peay Governors travel to Knoxville for an in-state non-conference matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Single-game tickets are available at AllVols.com and can also be purchased at the Sherri Parker Lee ticket office when gates open to the public at 3 p.m. Parking is free for all Tennessee home softball games in lots S14 and C25 adjacent to Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and Regal Soccer Stadium, and fans should note that Tennessee Athletics' clear bag policy will be in effect.

Fans are encouraged to visit the Tennessee softball gameday information page before making their way to Sherri Parker Lee to familiarize themselves with gameday policies and procedures.

BROADCAST INFO: Tuesday's game will be streamed online via SEC Network+, available at ESPN.com/watch and the ESPN app. A free online audio broadcast featuring the voice of the Lady Vol softball team Brian Rice will be streamed live on UTSports.com.

LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee picked up five consecutive wins at its home tournament this past weekend, taking down Dartmouth and Virginia twice and earning a victory over South Alabama.

Freshman designated player McKenna Gibson had a strong weekend, batting .455 with a team-high two home runs, six RBIs, 1.691 OPS and four walks at the home tournament. Her best performance came vs. South Alabama, hitting 2-for-3 with five RBIs in the run-rule victory. Gibson iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as she launched a two-run shot over the scoreboard in left center to walk it off.

Lady Vols pitchers Erin Edmoundson and Bailey McCachren combined for three complete-game shutouts in five games at the Tennessee Invite. McCachren held Dartmouth scoreless while Edmoundson blanked South Alabama and Virginia.

DYNAMIC DUO: Tennessee is one of two schools in the SEC with two pitchers ranked in the top 10 on the league's strikeouts leaderboard. Graduate pitcher Erin Edmoundson sits 8th in the conference with 52 Ks, while senior Ashley Rogers is 9th with 50 punchouts.

IN-STATE DOMINANCE: With its run-rule triumph over Tennessee Tech last week, the Lady Vols improved to 137-4 (.972) all-time against in-state foes. UT boasts an unblemished 17-0 record against Austin Peay, with the most recent matchup coming on March 17, 2010. Former Lady Vol Shelby Burchell, who hails from Columbia, Tenn., drove in four RBIs to highlight a 10-0 victory for the Big Orange.

DIGGING THE LONG BALL: With seven home runs this past weekend at the Tennessee Invitational, the Lady Vols have combined for 30 homers in the first 21 games of the season. UT's 1.43 home runs per game rank fifth in the SEC and are tied for 14th in the country through the first four weeks of the 2022 season.

ROBBING BASES: When a Lady Vol speedster resides on first base, there's a great chance she will make a dash for second on the ensuing at-bat. UT is 39-for-43 on stolen bases this season, and its 1.86 steals per game rank third in the SEC and 24th in the nation.

NOTING AUSTIN PEAY: The Governors enter Tuesday's contest with a 12-6 record after going 3-1 at the Governors Classic this past weekend. Senior infielder Lexi Osowski stands out for Austin Peay as she leads the Ohio Valley Conference with a .482 batting avg., 27 hits, .571 on-base percentage and .821 slugging percentage this season.

Sophomore pitcher Jordan Benefiel leads the Governor staff with a 2.11 ERA, 6-2 record and 50 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols begin SEC play this weekend with a trip to Columbia, Missouri, to take on the No. 8 Tigers in a three-game road set. Friday's first pitch is slated for 6 p.m. ET, with game two set for Saturday at 2 p.m. on SEC Network. The series finale will begin Sunday at 2 p.m. ET to round out the opening weekend of conference action.

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

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Players Mentioned

Erin Edmoundson

McKenna Gibson

Bailey McCachren

Ashley Rogers

University of Tennessee Athletics