BEAUMONT, Texas - Averi Paden struck out seven and limited No. 6 Tennessee to its second-lowest run total of the season, but the Nicholls State University softball team could not muster enough offense in a 5-0 loss Sunday afternoon.

Paden scattered 13 hits in seven innings of work and stranded a total of 13 runners. However, UT's Sage Mardjetko struck out 13 and gave up a lone single to Lilianna Robledo in the fifth on her way to a shutout victory.

The Lady Vols plated unearned runs in the first and third innings for an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Reagan Heflin became the first Colonel to reach base by drawing a walk.

Still trailing 2-0 in the fifth, Robledo led off the inning with a base hit. She moved to third with two down but Mardjetko notched a strikeout to keep her shutout intact.

Another error in the sixth allowed UT to add two unearned runs to double their lead. Then in the seventh, Sophia Nugent had an RBI single to plate Katie Taylor who tripled.

Riley Rutherford reached on an error to start the Colonel seventh but the next three batters were retired to end the game.

ON DECK
Nicholls will make its home debut on Wednesday, Feb. 19 with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Alcorn State.