KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Erin Nuwer tossed a gem as the No. 8 [7] Lady Vols opened the 2026 Knoxville Regional with a 3-1 win over Northern Kentucky Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Tennessee (43-10) scattered eight hits on the day, with freshman Elsa Morrison and junior Sophia Knight leading the way with two apiece.
Nuwer picked up her 15th win of the season as she fired a complete-game one-hitter. The righty allowed one unearned run on one hit with one walk and seven strikeouts. The postseason victory is the second of her career.
Tennessee broke through in the second inning when Emma Clarke launched a solo home run to center field to give the Lady Vols a 1-0 lead.
Northern Kentucky (26-24) tied the game in the sixth after capitalizing on a pair of Tennessee errors and two sacrifice bunts.
Morrison responded for UT in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer to left field. The blast was her sixth of the season. Gabby Leach delivered an RBI double later in the inning to score Sophia Knight and extend the lead to 3-1.
NKU started Alicia Flores in the circle on Friday. The graduate senior went the distance, tossing six frames. She allowed three runs on eight hits with three walks and one strikeout. She is now 11-7 on the year.
Lexy Morris picked up the only hit for the Norse, a single to left center in the fifth inning. She was thrown out at second base by Knight, trying to stretch the hit into a double.
DUE UP
Tennessee will face the winner of Virginia and Indiana on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. The TV designation will be announced Friday night. Check vol softball on X for updates.
