Rhodes, Ward switch it up to top Arkansas

A little teamwork on the mound added up to a series-clinching victory for the Tennessee Lady Vols softball team Saturday.

Freshman Ashton Ward and senior Megan Rhodes shuffled back and forth as pitchers to lead UT (28-5, 6-4 SEC) to a 4-2 victory at Arkansas as the Lady Vols took two of three from the Lady Razorbacks.

“It’s good to finish this long road trip at 3-1,” Lady Vols co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. “Our kids played hard and we got some clutch pitching out of Ward today with the game on the line in the seventh inning.”

Ward made the start but left the game with a no decision as Arkansas tied things 2-2 in the fourth. Rhodes (13-2) made her entrance and limited Arkansas (22-13,2-9) to three hits in 3 1⁄3 innings to get the win. Ward then re-entered to pitch with two on and one out in the seventh, but was able to close out the game for her second save.

The eighh-ranked Lady Vols spread out a balanced six-hit attack and got some help from three Arkansas errors.

Tennessee grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third. Danielle Pieroni got UT’s first hit and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lillian Hammond. An error on a Kenora Posey shot to third allowed Pieroni to score and Posey came around from second on a single by freshman Chandra Mogan.

“Chandra Mogan and Danielle Pieroni both stepped up offensively and made some things happen for our team,” Weekly said.

UT took control in the sixth with two runs on one hit, two walks and a wild pitch.

The Lady Vols return home Tuesday to face Lipscomb University in a doubleheader at 5 p.m.