CLEARWATER, Fla. – Tennessee rolled to a dominant 10-0 season-opening victory over BYU in a five-inning run-rule at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, piling up early offense while pitcher Erin Nuwer held BYU hitless.
Nuwer tossed her second career no-hitter in the win, marking the 62nd no-hitter in program history and the 13th thrown under pitching coach Megan Rhodes Smith. Nuwer’s first no-no last season also happened in Clearwater at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
The Lady Vols (1-0) struck quickly in the top of the first. After Gabby Leach was hit by a pitch, freshman and Knoxville native Elsa Morrison doubled down the left-field line to bring home the game’s first run in her first career at-bat. Redshirt sophomore Ella Dodge followed with a two-run homer to center, giving Tennessee a 3-0 lead.
Nuwer (1-0) set the tone in the circle, retiring the first nine batters she faced as BYU (0-1) struggled to generate offense and never advanced a runner past first base. The sophomore righty finished with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Tennessee broke the game open in the fourth. After loading the bases with a pair of walks and a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch allowed junior Bella Faw to score before Morrison launched a three-run homer to left – the first of her career – extending the lead to 7-0 and chasing BYU starter Jada Villegas from the game.
UT added three more runs in the fifth, putting the finishing touches on its run-rule win. Sophomore transfer Makenzie Butt delivered an RBI double to left-center in her Tennessee debut, plating sophomore Zoie Shuler. Faw followed with a run-scoring single and Morrison capped her standout debut with an RBI bases-loaded walk.
Morrison finished the night with two extra-base hits and five RBIs in her collegiate debut, while Dodge drove in two with her first-inning homer. Tennessee scored 10 runs on six hits without committing an error, while BYU finished with no runs, no hits, and no errors.
DUE UP
Tennessee is back in action on Friday as it plays No. 21 Liberty at 4 p.m. ET, followed by a nightcap against Rutgers at 7 p.m.
