Lady Vols start off fast at Tennessee Classic

Kelly Grieve went 5-for-5 as Tennessee crushed Bowling Green 18-0 Friday on opening day of the Tennessee Classic at Lee Softball Stadium.

Then Tiffany Huff drove in all three runs as the Lady Vols beat James Madison 3-1 in the second game.

Eighth-ranked Tennessee (17-1) takes a 15-game winning streak into its two games today.

Tennessee and James Madison were locked in a 1-1 duel until the bottom of the fifth inning when Ashley Andrews, Grieve and Lillian Hammond each singled to load the bases with one out.

Huff then drove a single through the right side to score Andrews and Grieve.

Cat Hosfield (12-1) retired James Madison without a base runner in the sixth and seventh innings to close out the victory.

Hosfield allowed three hits and struck out eight.

James Madison opened the game by claiming a 1-0 lead on Kaitlyn Wernsing's RBI single.

Tennessee drew even in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit. Hammond reached on an error, advanced to second on a passed ball and stole third. She scored on Huff's sacrifice bunt.

Against Bowling Green, the Lady Vols exploded for 11 runs in the first inning and finished with a season-best 20 hits. The 18 runs were UT's most prolific output in nearly three years.

Grieve's five hits tied a school record. She also drove in five runs, three on a bases-loaded triple in the first inning.

Hammond and Erin Webb had three hits apiece.

Danielle Pieroni (2-0) got the win with three-innings of one-hit ball. Ashton Ward allowed one hit in the final two innings.

Play resumes today at 9 a.m. at Lee Softball Stadium. The Lady Vols meet North Dakota State at 1:30 p.m. and North Carolina at 4.

Three games are also scheduled for Caswell Park, beginning at 11 a.m.

The tournament concludes Sunday afternoon.

Other Results: Jacksonville State blanked James Madison 6-0 behind Ashley Eliasson's one-hitter. North Dakota State beat Bowling Green 6-4.