MIAMI SOFTBALL

UT offense rules day as Miami falls in NCAA opener

By MIKE SMITH
KNOXVILLE, TN -- The Miami RedHawks (35-25) had a rocky experience at Rocky Top Friday, falling to host Tennessee (41-14) 17-0 in five innings. 
Vols ace Karlyn Pickens (21-8) figured as a formidable obstacle for Miami, but it was the Tennessee offense that shined brightest in the NCAA regional opener for both teams. 

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Miami will now face North Carolina at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The Tar Heels fell to Ohio State 9-6 Friday.  CLICK HERE FOR BRACKET

While the UT offense . . . 

Ella Carter owned two of Miami's three hits.

. . . sputtered late in the Southeastern Conference season, it roared back against Miami. Vols hitters  belted four home runs among 10 hits on the day. Unfortunately for MU, the damage was multiplied by 10 free passes -- nine on walks and one hit batter. 

Most of the scoring came in the third inning, when 18 Vols came to the plate. UT tallied 11 runs on 5 hits, 5 walks and a hit batter. Laura Mealer's grand slam capped the onslaught. 

Pickens struck out the side for UT in the first inning, but Miami nearly broke through in the second. McKenna Campbell worked a walk to open the frame, and Ella Carter moved her up a base with a single to center. Jenna Golembiewski followed suit, but Campbell -- a catcher -- was held at third. That left the bases loaded with no outs. 

Pickens got one out on a strike out and then ended the threat entirely with a comeback bouncer to the mound. She threw home for a force there, and another throw to first resulted in an inning-ending double play. 

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Tennessee struck quickly in the bottom half as McKenna Gibson belted a homer off the scoreboard in left center. Laura Mealer singled and Emma Clark doubled her in to give UT a 2-0 lead. After a four-pitch walk, both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt.  However Miami starter Madilyn Reeves (23-12) struck out the next two batters to end the rally.

Tennessee came back for more -- a lot more -- in the third. A one-out double and two walks loaded the bases for Clark, who drove in the first two runs with a double down the left field line. Leach followed with a 3-run homer to right. With UT up 7-0, Reeves was replaced with Laura Chevrier, who gave MU 12 shutout innings in the recent MAC Tournament. 

The junior induced a quick grounder to first for the second out, but she would not retire another batter. A double and two walks loaded the bases. One run scored when Nugent was hit by a pitch, while another walk brought home another run and left the bases loaded for Mealer. She then cleared the scene -- runners and pitcher -- with a grand slam to right field.

Shelbie Krieger was one of three Miami pitchers on the day.

Chevrier was replaced by Shelbie Krieger, a freshman who had logged 18.2 innings on the year and last pitched in a game April 5. Nonetheless, she retired the first batter she faced on a fly-out to end the inning.

Mardjetko replaced Pickens in the circle for UT, and Ella Carter got Miami's final hit with a single to left in the fourth. Tennessee then padded its 13-0 lead with four unearned runs in the bottom half. 

A Danitza Hernandez walk in the fifth was Miami's final base runner. Tennessee did not bat in the fifth. 

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NOTES: 
• Carter owned two of Miami's three hits on the day. Golembiewski had the other. 
• Miami batters drew two walks.
• Miami will now face North Carolina at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The Tar Heels fell to Ohio State 9-6 Friday

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA
• North Carolina jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Ohio State in their Knoxville Regional opener Friday. The 'Heels led 4-3 before OSU erupted four four runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth. Down 9-4, UNC got a two-run homer from Shelby Barbee for the final margin. 
UNC finished with six runs on seven hits and also drew seven walks. They struck out four times and left eight on base. 
Ohio State bashed six homers among its 10 hits
North Carolina used four pitchers
• The Tarheels (40-16) are looking for their firt NCAA tournament win since 2019 when they beat Tennessee in Game One of the regional final. 
• UNC went through four consecutive losing seasons before the arrival of Head Coach Megan Smith Lyon. Her Tarheel teams have posted two winning season and the first 40-win season since 2017. 
• Miami will be facing another team with outstanding offense. The 2025 squad is the highest scoring team in program history, tallying 378 runs prior to NCAA play. They have reached double digits in 16 games. 
• Kat Rodrigues has been on several lists as among the second basemen in the nation.The four-time ACC Player of the Week totaled a nation-best 73 RBIs prior to NCAA action. she leads the Heels in RBI,AVG, OBP, hits, fewest strikeouts, and is second in, OPS,walks, runs, doubles, and HBP.

Pre-tourney stat comparison

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