(UTAD Media Relations) – Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Tennessee graduate catcher Kelcy Leach belted a walk-off grand slam complete UT’s second consecutive come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M Sunday evening at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. In a back-and-forth affair with the Aggies, the game-ending blast marked the 14th-ranked Lady Vols’ third go-ahead hit of the ballgame to secure the win and the series, 11-8.
Leach’s heroics marked the second day in a row the Big Orange ended the game with a walk-off homer. Sophomore Zaida Puni clinched the series opener for UT with a two-run blast in Saturday’s 7-5 victory over the Aggies.
Leach finished Sunday’s game hitting 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a game-high five RBIs for Tennessee (29-12, 10-6 SEC). Junior outfielder Kiki Milloy also logged a multi-hit outing, going 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and an RBI single, while Ivy Davis (1-for-2, 2 RBI) and Lair Beautae (1-for-4, 2 RBI) each posted multi-RBI efforts.
Graduate lefty Erin Edmoundson (16-4) picked up the win in the circle, dealing a scoreless top of the seventh with a groundout, lineout and foul out to set up the triumphant bottom half. Tennessee trailed 8-7 before the Lady Vols rallied for their 10th win in conference play.
After the first two innings went scoreless, the Aggies (24-16, 3-11 SEC) took a two-run lead in the top of the third when sophomore infielder Trinity Cannon drove a pair of runners in on a single to left. Knoxville native Cayden Baker and All-American Haley Lee scored on the play after leading off the frame with back-to-back base hits.
Tennessee immediately responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the ballgame. After Leach led off with a walk, freshman pinch runner Katie Taylor stole second to move into scoring position for Davis. The super senior from Huntington Beach, California, continued her strong series at the plate with an RBI single, bringing Taylor in to cut the A&M lead in half.
With Davis on second and no outs, Milloy extended her reached base streak to 34 consecutive games as she laced an RBI single through the left side to tie it at two. The All-American center fielder promptly stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before a passed ball by Aggie catcher Mayce Allen allowed Milloy to score the go-ahead run and give the Lady Vols a 3-2 lead.
Texas A&M knotted the game in the top of the fourth, scoring one run on three hits. Lee drove in the game-tying score before freshman pitcher Nicola Simpson entered the circle with the bases loaded and one out. Davis got the Lady Vols out of the jam with back-to-back fielder’s choice plays, getting Allen on a force out at home before nabbing Cannon at second to end the frame and limit further damage.
After Simpson worked a scoreless fifth, Beautae delivered a go-ahead single in the bottom half to put the Lady Vols up 4-3 through five. The base knock to left field brought home Milloy who had just roped a one-out double down the left field line.
The Aggies launched four home runs off of three Tennessee pitchers to score five runs and take an 8-4 edge in the top of the sixth. Lee, Cannon and freshman DP Katie Dack each recorded solo shots before senior right fielder Morgan Smith hit a two-run blast the left field to build A&M’s four-run lead.
Tennessee pulled within a run of the Aggies with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Leach blooped an RBI single to center, Davis was plunked with the bases loaded, and Beautae knocked an RBI groundout to second to make it 8-7 heading into the seventh.
With three outs to spare, Puni sparked the rally for the Lady Vols with a leadoff double to left field on a full count. Freshman infielder McKenna Gibson was hit by a pitch before senior Kaitlin Parsons walked to load the bases for Leach. The graduate transfer from The Woodlands, Texas, lined a 1-1 pitch to left center that bounced off the top of the wall and over to clinch the series for the Lady Vols.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will go for the three-game sweep of the Aggies Monday night on SEC Network. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
