Lady Vols defeat Missouri State, South Dakota in Tennessee Invitational

Laura Mealer hits four home runs as Tennessee defeats Bears and Coyotes in Tennessee Invitational.

No. 8 Tennessee (16-4) opened play in the Tennessee Invitational Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

The Lady Vols run-ruled Missouri State (3-11), 16-0 in five innings. Tennessee also defeated South Dakota (10-11), 6-0, in game No. 2.

Laura Mealer went 3-for-3, recording three home runs and five RBIs, while Kiki Milloy went 3-for-4 with four runs and one RBI for Tennessee.

McKenna Gibson went 3-for-3, recording one double, four RBIs and two runs, while Zaida Puni went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run for the Lady Vols.

Tennessee’s Payton Gottshall (6-2) pitched four innings, recording five strikeouts. Charli Orsini pitched one inning and recorded one strikeout.

In game No. 2, Mealer and Puni each hit one home run, while Milloy went 2-for-4, recording one double, one RBI, one run and one stolen base.

Karlyn Pickens pitched a complete game for Tennessee, recording 13 strikeouts.