Callahan's record HR part of sweep

Tennessee overwhelmed Austin Peay in two run-rule shortened games Tuesday at Lee Softball Stadium.

The 10th-ranked Lady Vols (45-9) won the opener 9-1 in five innings, then took the nightcap 14-1, again in five innings.

In both contests, freshman Ashton Ward (26-3) worked the first three innings with Megan Rhodes finishing with two innings of relief.

The opening game saw Tonya Callahan bash her 16th home run, breaking a 12-year-old school record for a season. It was her fourth consecutive home run out of four hits in a five-game span. The record, 15, was set by Bridget Jackson in 1996.

Tiffany Huff and Nicole Kajitani had run-scoring doubles in the fifth. Kajitani then scored on a fielder's choice to end the contest 9-1 via the run-rule.

In the second game, Ward allowed Austin Peay (9-31) a run in the top of the first, but that was it. Tennessee answered with six runs in its first at-bat and poured across seven more in the third.

The 14 runs matched the season high. UT beat Wagner 14-0 on Feb. 23.

Jen Lapicki, one of four Lady Vols with two hits, batted in four runs.

Earlier in the day, Callahan was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA national player of the week. She was on base 16 of 18 times against Ole Miss and LSU last week, going 4-of-6 with three home runs. She walked the other 12 at-bats, including seven times intentionally. Her most recent home run was the 50th of her career.

On Monday she was named SEC Player of the Week.