Michael Allen 
SEO meta description: Tennessee softball broke open a scoreless game with a late offensive burst, shutting out James Madison 11–0 behind strong pitching and timely hits.
After a slow start Friday night, Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball erupted for 11 unanswered runs to cruise past the James Madison Dukes softball, 11–0, in a dominant showing fueled by sharp baserunning, timely hitting, and lockdown relief pitching.
Tennessee threatened in the first inning when Sophia Knight drew a leadoff walk and swiped second. The inning turned chaotic moments later: Gabby Leach reached on an infield play, Knight was thrown out trying to take third, and Leach was caught in a rundown attempting to advance, resulting in a double play. Walks by Elsa Morrison and Ella Dodge kept the frame alive before Taelyn Holley struck out to end the threat.
In the circle, Peyton Hardenburger made her first appearance of the season for Tennessee. She worked around leadoff singles in each of the first two innings, keeping James Madison off the board as the Lady Vols’ offense searched for rhythm. Both teams put runners aboard in the third, but neither could cash in.
The breakthrough came in the fourth. Alannah Leach singled with one out, and Emma Clarke ripped a double down the left-field line to open the scoring. After a Meredith Barnhart walk and a passed ball moved Clarke to third, Tennessee executed a perfectly timed double steal to plate another run. Makenzie Butt followed with an RBI single, pushing the lead to 3–0.
Erin Nuwer took over in the bottom of the fourth and slammed the door, allowing just one hit and one walk over the final four innings while striking out six. The relief ace set the tone for a runaway finish.
The Lady Vols piled on from there. In the fifth, a wild pitch brought home a run with the bases loaded before Rutan delivered a two-run single. Ella Dodge doubled in Sophia Knight in the sixth. Tennessee put the game out of reach in the seventh with a two-run single from Bella Faw, an RBI double by Gabby Leach, and a sacrifice fly that allowed Knight to score, sealing the 11–0 shutout.
Tennessee’s weekend gauntlet continues Saturday against No. 23 Florida Atlantic Owls softball at noon ET and No. 6 UCLA Bruins softball at 4 p.m. ET, as the Lady Vols look to carry their late-game momentum into top-25 matchups.
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