What Karen Weekly said about Destiny Rodriguez's game-winning home run for Tennessee softball

Destiny Rodriguez is making a name for herself as one of the most clutch players on the Tennessee softball team.

She did it first as a freshman when she stepped in as a starter during the 2023 NCAA Super Regional against Texas. Rodriguez went 4-for-7 with an RBI to help send the Lady Vols to the Women's College World Series.

She started off her sophomore season with the same heroics.

No. 2 Tennessee trailed No. 22 Baylor 2-1 with two outs in the seventh inning. It was the first game of a double-header last Friday, and the Lady Vols were one out away from their first loss of the season.

Rodriguez stepped in the batter's box as a pinch hitter. With a runner on second, Rodriguez swung on the first pitch and blasted the ball over the centerfield wall to give Tennessee a 3-2 lead.

It was the the infielder's first career home run, and she did it in dramatic fashion in her home state.

"We kind of joke that it must be something about the Texas teams," Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said Tuesday. "She's from Texas and probably has a little chip on her shoulder that she wasn't more heavily recruited by few of them. But I really believe in her, and there's a real comfort level any time she goes in."

Rodriguez is a player they know they can depend on, Weekly said, and she's steady in everything she does. The Lady Vols hadn't executed the game plan against Baylor's pitcher well up until that point. But Rodriguez followed it, and she was rewarded.

"I get goosebumps just listening to you talk about it right now," Weekly said of the home run. "Those moments are what you live for in coaching, just to watch somebody completely give it up for the team like she does."

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Senior outfielder Rylie West, who was named SEC Player of the Week after going 5-for-7 with six runs scored, two home runs and six RBIs, said Rodriguez is the perfect teammate regardless if she's in the starting lineup or not.

"(It was) emotional, because Des is like a little sister to me," West said of watching the home run. "I just think the team was the most happy you could possibly be for a person, and I think that just speaks to who Des is. She's such a lovable person and so everyone wants it so bad for her, and for her to do that, and for us to be able to celebrate with her was awesome."

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Karen Weekly said of Destiny Rodriguez's home run to beat Baylor