A productive freshman debut, paired with a no-hitter, signaled a strong start to the season for Tennessee softball.
Knoxville native Elsa Morrison dominated at the plate in her first career game as Tennessee routed BYU, 10-0, on opening night in Clearwater, Florida.
Morrison went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs at the plate. Erin Nuwer, meanwhile, tossed a no-hitter across 67 pitches while surrendering two walks.
The Lady Vols started fast courtesy of Morrison driving a two-strike double into the corner for her first career hit, and Gabby Leach scored from first to give the freshman her first career RBI. Veteran Ella Dodge then hit a towering fly ball that just scraped over the center field wall for a home run, staking Tennessee to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Erin Nuwer took the hill for opening night and cruised through the opening innings without allowing a hit. Over her first three innings of work, she faced the minimum and struck out three through her first trip through the lineup.
In the fourth inning, the Big Orange blew the game open with a four-run frame. After a fielder’s choice from Leach, Morrison stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two out. A wild pitch allowed Bella Faw to scamper home to deliver Tennessee’s fourth run of the night. Then, the freshman catcher deposited a full count pitch into the left field seats for a three-run home run, the very first of her career, stretching the advantage to 7-0.
Tennessee plated three more runs in the top of the fifth, courtesy of RBI knocks from Boise State transfer, MaKenzie Butt, and from the nine-hitter, Faw, to put the Lady Vols in position to mercy-rule the Cougars.
Nuwer closed out a scoreless evening of work with a 1-2-3 fifth, but not without a little help. A pop-up down the line pulled sophomore Emma Clarke deep into foul territory, but she reined it in to close the game out.
Freshman sensation
Not many true freshmen bat third on opening night in their debut, but Morrison is no average freshman. According to On3.com, she was rated as the second overall catching recruit in the nation and the top overall recruit out of the state of Tennessee in her class.
She earned her opportunity with a very good fall camp, and she did not disappoint. An RBI double in her first career plate was impressive enough, but to deliver a two-out, full count three-run blast was the icing on the cake.
She worked counts, she did not over-extend and she looked quite comfortable at the plate. It was a memorable debut, and it was a night that could be a sign of great things to come from Morrison.
Newer Nuwer
In her preseason press conference, head coach Karen Weekly said that nobody was able to see the real Nuwer last season until her outing against Florida in the Women’s College World Series. It would seem that Weekly received a performance from the real Nuwer on opening night.
The sophomore from East Aurora, New York, delivered a dominant complete game in which she walked just two batters, struck out five and did not allow a runner to reach scoring position. She also tossed a no-hitter.
Nuwer was in complete control of her pitch mix all night, keeping BYU hitters flustered and frustrated all night. When she induced contact, it was quite weak, leading to routine plays for her infielders to clean up.
By night’s end, she had just faced one batter over the minimum. It was a very successful outing for the New York-native, and one that should boost the confidence of her head coach.
Simple success
There was nothing flashy about Faw’s stat line on Thursday, but it is a stat line that will please Weekly every time.
The junior infielder went 1-for-2 with a single and a walk, driving in a run and scoring twice. Morrison and Dodge will get more attention for the home runs, but Faw’s production, specifically from the nine spot, is quite valuable. All runs count the same, but the nine-hitter is rarely viewed as a threat, and such production from the very bottom of the lineup carries plenty of weight.
Faw comes off a sophomore season in which she hit just .220 and recorded a meager three RBI’s in 50 at-bats. However, she amassed a .391 on-base percentage, indicating a disciplined approach at the plate. If she can consistently get aboard from those lower spots in the lineup, she can set the table for the power threats at the top to do damage, and that could cause plenty of stress for opposing pitching staffs.
