KNOXVILLE - The fifth-ranked Tennessee softball team improved to 21-1 as it opened its 2018 home schedule by going 5-0 in the Tennessee Invitational over the weekend.
The Lady Volunteers clinched the tournament title Sunday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium with a 2-0 win over South Alabama, which fell to 10-11.
"It's a win, and you always want to get a win," Tennessee co-head coach Karen Weekly said. "South Alabama is a really good team. I don't think their record is a good indicator of how good they are. Really quality pitcher on the mound in Devin Brown. She's tough, and she did a good job against us, holding us to two runs."
The Lady Vols countered with a four-inning start from Caylan Arnold and three innings of relief from Matty Moss (10-1) who was credited with the win. Arnold struck out eight of the 17 batters she faced.
"I think she started off really strong," Weekly said. "Her first three innings were really good getting ahead of batters. That's the key. She really commanded her fastball and her changeup early in the game. Ran into a jam in the fourth inning. Took a lot of pitches to get out of that one, but the good thing is she got out of it."
All of Tennessee's offense came on one swing in the first inning when Chelsea Seggern tripled to score Jenna Holcomb and Meghan Gregg.
Tennessee opened the tournament with a 13-1 win over Charleston Southern and a 6-2 win over Toledo on Friday before beating South Alabama 4-0 and Charleston Southern 6-3 on Saturday to clinch a spot in Sunday's championship game.
The Lady Vols start Southeastern Conference play by hosting Missouri in a three-game series that begins Friday. Weekly suggested the Lady Vols need more consistency from the bottom of their lineup.
"We need to make better offensive adjustments," she said. "Right now, we've got some kids that we're just trying to get them to take a better approach up there and be a little bit more aggressive."
Family competition
Toldeo freshman outfielder Taylor Weekly went 1-for-2 with a walk Friday against the Lady Vols. The granddaughter of Tennessee c0-head coach Ralph Weekly, she played high school softball at The King's Academy in Seymour, Tenn., near Knoxville.
"I'm proud of her," Ralph Weekly said after that game. "She wants to be a doctor, and Toledo's got a great medical school. She's taken out on her own and gone up there and earned her way into the starting lineup."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.