Softball America: 2024 Knoxville Regional HQ

Welcome to Knoxville. The Lady Vols will try to ride their pitching duo to their first National Championship.

Knoxville Regional Schedule

Broadcast team: Eric Frede, Madison Shipman
*All times Eastern

• Friday, May 17
  • Virginia 7, Miami (Ohio) 0
    • The Eden Bigham and Jade Hylton formula worked again for Virginia. Bigham tossed a complete game shutout – the first time Miami has been shutout this season – with 10 strikeouts and only allowing two hits. Hylton finished with three hits including a two-run home run and accounted for five of the seven runs. Macee Eaton also had a two-run home run.
  • No. 3 seed Tennessee 3, Dayton 0
    • The Lady Vols got it done despite it not looking pretty offensively.  Destiny Rodriguez had one of the four Tennessee hits with a three-run bomb..until she ran past Giulia Koutsoyanopulos at first base, making it only a two-run single. Sophia Nugent added an insurance run late. Karlyn Pickens set the tone striking out the side in the first inning. She threw a complete game two-hitter with 12 Ks.
• Saturday, May 18
  • Tennessee 12, Virginia 0 (F/5)
    • It was all Lady Vols from the start. Kiki Milloy and Taylor Pannell opened the game with back-to-back home runs. Sophia Nugent later hit a three-run blast and Rylie West hit her own homer. Those four combined for 11 of the 12 RBIs. Payton Gottshall allowed only three hits to move into the regional final.
  • Miami (OH) 4, Dayton 0 (Dayton eliminated) 
    • While weather delayed this, the RedHawks have yet to make it rain home runs in Knoxville. Although, Hadley Parisen got one. Miami was actually outhit in the win and finished the game with four hits. The RedHawks earned walks and used a Dayton error to score three in the second. Addy Jarvis scattered eight Dayton hits and stranded nine runners in the complete game win.
  • Virginia 6, Miami (OH) 0 (Miami (OH) eliminated) 
    • Eden Bigham and Jade Hylton did it again. Bigham simply had Miami’s number, shutting out the RedHawks for a second time. The sophomore righty didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning, the only hit she allowed and struck out seven. Hylton hit a home run to start the scoring in the third. She sparked a four-run rally in the fifth reaching on an error. Shelby Barbee hit a three-run homer that was the knockout blow for the Cavs. Karli Spaid ends her career at 103 home runs, the second most all-time and with 36 in one season, the second most all-time.
• Sunday, May 19
  • Tennessee 6. Virginia 0 (Tennessee advances to Super Regionals)
    • Virginia tried to ride the hot hand of Eden Bigham but the Tennessee offense rolled as it did Saturday. Rylie West came through with a two-RBI, two-out single. It wouldn’t be the last we heard from her. West came through again in the third with a two-run double. Then she hit a solo shot in the fifth for her fifth RBI. Zaida Puni drove in a run in the third too. If the Lady Vols offense can get hot right now, it makes them even more dangerous with their pitching staff. Speaking of pitching, Karlyn Pickens tossed another gem. She didn’t allow a hit until the fifth and two overall while striking out seven.

Knoxville Regional Stats

Knoxville Regional Stars

No. 3 Tennessee (SEC Regular Season Champs)

• CF Kiki Milloy
• UTL McKenna Gibson
• RHP Karlyn Pickens
• RHP Payton Gotshall

2-seed Virginia (ACC At-Large Bid)

• SS Jade Hylton
• 2B Bella Cabral
• RHP Eden Bigham
• RHP Madison Harris

3-seed Miami (OH) (MAC Regular Season and Tournament Champs)

• 3B Karli Spaid
• RF Jenna Golembiewski
• CF Kate Kobayashi
• 1B Holly Blaska

4-seed Dayton (A-10 Regular Season and Tournament Champs)

• 2B Maddie Kapsimalis
• 3B Chloe Wong
• RHP Izzy Kemp
• RHP Sarah Bailitz