SCORE: Northern Kentucky 1, Tennessee 3 | FINAL
***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***
Tennessee softball’s 2026 NCAA Tournament run is set to begin on Friday evening. The No. 7 overall seed Lady Vols host Northern Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network to kick off the Knoxville Regional. The winner of this game will play the winner between Virginia and Indiana on Saturday. It is a two-loss elimination format to decide who will advance to the super regionals.
UT is also attempting to make its 10th Women’s College World Series appearance. This includes last season and in 2023. Twice, Tennessee has gone all the way to the championship series. However, in both 2007 and 2013, the Lady Vols fell short and finished as the runner-up.
Tennessee is entering the bracket on a sour note, though. After taking an early lead, the Lady Vols couldn’t hold on against Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Now, UT is looking to respond well in the NCAA Tournament behind three elite pitchers, Karlyn Pickens, Sage Mardjetko and Erin Nuwer, and an up-and-down offense.
Now, NKU stands in the way between Tennessee and a strong start to the Knoxville Regional.
“Everybody in a regional is good,” Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly said. “They have earned their way here, whether it’s through the body work the whole season or a really hot run at their conference tournament, they’re playing their best softball. Northern Kentucky is a scrappy team. They steal a lot of bases. They’re just really pesky in their ability to get on base, not a big power team, but when you watch them on film, it’s like just a lot of balls just fall in, and then when they get on bases, they can make some things happen.”
More From RTI: What Tennessee Softball Head Coach Karen Weekly Said to Preview Knoxville Regional, NCAA Tournament
Opponent Scout – Northern Kentucky
- 2026 record
- 26-23 (11-7 Horizon)
- 2026 conference tournament result
- Winner
- 2025 NCAAT result
- Didn’t make the field
- 2026 BAVG leader
- Kenzie Gulley – .348
- 2026 HR leader
- Brielle DiMemmo – 7
- 2026 ERA leader
- Makaree Chapman – 4.64
SERIES HISTORY:
- Overall: UT leads 3-0
- Current streak: UT 3 wins
- Last meeting: May 19, 2023: 12-0 UT W (5 inn.) in 2023 Knoxville Regional
Lineups and pitching matchups are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
CF Sophia Knight (L)
RF Gabby Leach (L)
3B Ella Dodge (L)
LF Alannah Leach (L)
1B Macenzie Butt (R)
2B Emma Clark (R)
C Elsa Morrison (R)
DP Taelyn Holley (L)
SS Bella Faw (R)
OLE MISS STARTING NINE:
3B Mack Brow (R)
RF Kenzie Gulley (L)
CF Jena Rhoads (L)
1B Brielle DiMemmo (R)
2B Peyto Mueller-Stenz (R)
SS Lexy Morris (R)
C Emma Ginn (R)
DP Victoria Flores (R)
LF Makaree Chapman (L)
Pitching Matchup:
Tennessee – Erin Nuwer (14-1, 1.09 ERA)
vs.
Northern Kentucky – Alicia Flores (11-5, 4.82 ERA)
Uniforms
Tennessee: White jersey, orange pants
Northern Kentucky: All black
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Mack Brow grounds out to the pitcher
-Kenzie Gulley strikes out swinging
-Jena Rhoads grounds out to first
END HALF INNING
B1
-Sophia Knight pops out to third
-Gabby Leach walks
-Ella Dodge lines out to center
G. Leach steals second
-Alannah Leach flies out to left
END INNING
Score: NKU 0, Tennessee 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Brielle Dimemmo grounds out to the pitcher
-Peyton Mueller-Stenz grounds out to second
-Lexy Morris grounds out to the catcher
END HALF INNING
B2
-Makenzie Butt flies out to right
-Emma Clarke homers to center
-Elsa Morrison singles to left
-Taelyn Holley grounds out to first, Morrison to second
-Bella Faw walks
-Sophia Knight bunts for a single, loads the bases
-Gabby Leach flies out to right
END INNING
Score: NKU 0, Tennessee 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-Emma Ginn grounds out to the pitcher
Issue with the dirt in the circle after a Nuwer pitch, delay for the grounds crew to fix it
-Victoria Flores strikes out swinging
-Makaree Chapman grounds out to the pitcher
END HALF INNING
B3
-Ella Dodge flies out to left
-Alannah Leach singles to right
-Makenzie Butt flies out to the center field warning track
-Emma Clarke walks
-Elsa Morrison grounds out to short
END INNING
Score: NKU 0, Tennessee 1
4th Inning:
T4
-Mack Brow grounds out to first
-Kenzie Gulley walks
-Jena Rhoads pops out to second
-Birelle Dimemmo grounds out to third
END HALF INNING
B4
-Taelyn Holley doubles to center
-Bella Faw grounds out to second, Holley advances to third
-Sophia Knight grounds out to first
-Gabby Leach flies out to center
END INNING
Score: NKU 0, Tennessee 1
5th Inning:
T5
-Peyton Mueller-Stenz strikes out swinging
-Lexy Morris singles to center field, thrown out at second
-Emma Ginn strikes out swinging
END HALF INNING
B5
-Ella Dodge grounds out to the pitcher
-Alannah Leach lines out to right
-Makenzie Butt hit by pitch
*Zoie Shuler running for Butt
-Emma Clarke strikes out looking
END INNING
Score: NKU 0, Tennessee 1
6th Inning:
T6
*Maddi Rutan enters the game at third base for Makenzie Butt, Ella Dodge moves from third to first
*Morgan Heinecke pinch hits for Victoria Flores
-Morgan Heinecke reaches on a fielding error by second baseman Emma Clarke
*Flores re-enters to pinch run for Heinecke
-Makaree Chapman bunts to move Flores to second, Chapman out at first on throw by catcher
-Mack Brow bunts to move Flores to third, Brow out at third on throw by pitcher
-Kenzie Gulley reaches on a fielding error by third baseman Rutan, Flores scores
-Jena Rhoads strikes out swinging
END HALF INNING
B6
-Elsa Morrison homers to left
-Taelyn Holley pops out to second
-Bella Faw flies out to right
-Sophia Knight singles up the middle
Knight steals second
-Gabby Leach doubles to left, Knight scores
-Ella Dodge flies out to left
END INNING
Score: NKU 1, Tennessee 3
7th Inning:
T7
B7
Score: NKU 1, Tennessee 3
FINAL SCORE:
