After head coach Karen Weekly talked about her team’s struggles at the plate on Friday night, the Lady Vols took it to heart Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee softball beat Virginia 7-5 in the Knoxville Regional semifinals at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, jumping out to a 5-0 lead early and riding it the rest of the way to beat the Cavaliers. Despite Tennessee’s (44-10, 16-8 SEC) early lead, it wouldn’t stop the Cavaliers (39-14, 13-10 ACC) from fighting until the end.

A major part of Weekly’s postgame availability on Friday night was about the importance of leadoff runners and quality at-bats, both of which Tennessee got in the first frame.

Sophia Knight reached on a throwing error by the shortstop to open the bottom of the first, and Alannah Leach followed with a single to right. Elsa Morrison plated both with a two-RBI double to right-center, giving Tennessee early life.

Tennessee loaded the bases after a walk to Emma Clarke and a hit by pitch to Gabby Leach. Makenzie Butt singled down the right field line to plate Morrison and make it 3-0. Taelyn Holley drew a bases-loaded walk on a full count to push the lead to four. 

A fielder’s choice to shortstop got Holley at second, but Bella Faw barely beat the throw to first to avoid the double play. Gabby Leach crossed home as Faw reached safely to cap a five-run frame. 

“It was definitely a breath of fresh air,” Weekly said. “When you can get your leadoff hitter on in any inning, good things tend to happen. And then everybody after that got a pitch they liked and took a good hack at it. We did it in a lot of different ways, but I just loved the way it self-ignited us and then we passed the bat all the way through the lineup.”

Sage Mardjetko was sharp from the circle through the first two innings, but the third got away from her. After sitting down the first six batters to start the game, she hit a batter and allowed a single to start the inning. Though she managed two strikeouts, she allowed a three-run blast into right field to cut Tennessee’s lead to two.

“Having run support is obviously awesome because you don’t have to be perfect,” she said. “You get to just play the game freely, and when things don’t go your way, you know your teammates are there to pick you up again.”

Following Virginia’s score, Clarke answered right back. 

Leading off the bottom of the third, she drove a pitch over the left field fence for her second home run of the tournament and 12th of her season. Getting out to a 6-3 lead killed the Cavaliers’ momentum as soon as it started.

“She’s a beast,” Weekly said. “Just bring the beast every day. Let it out, let it play.”

Clarke credited her simplified approach for her breakout weekend. 

“It’s just been more of a sellout process,” she said. “Making sure that whenever I swing, I swing with conviction and just let my stuff work. I know that I’m good enough, so just whenever I hack, just keep hacking. The game will eventually reward me for that.”

Weekly replaced Mardjetko with Karlyn Pickens to open the fifth, and Pickens worked efficiently through two scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. She walked a batter, and the next one made her pay with a two-run shot to center field to cut the lead to 6-5.

Butt made sure it didn’t stay that way. 

She mashed the first pitch in the bottom of the frame into left field, giving the Lady Vols a two-run lead. Her eighth home run of the season was an important cushion as the Lady Vols marched into the seventh frame.

“Everybody’s probably saying, ‘You were an idiot for not playing her this last month.’ And I’m kind of thinking that myself,” Weekly said. “But we’d known all year. Mak comes off the bench and gives us these really, really good pinch-hit at-bats. And has just kept learning, kept doing her job, kept working. You just always know. Mak’s going to be there for you.”

Pickens trotted back out for the seventh and closed the door without drama. A foul out, ground out and strikeout ended game three of the Knoxville Regional in a Tennessee win, sending the home team to the region final.

Tennessee will face off with the winner of the Indiana and Virginia game on Sunday afternoon, with a chance to head to the super regionals. Weekly’s message was simple. 

“I just want them to come out tomorrow throwing punches.”