That is a perfect 10 to start the season.
No. 3 Tennessee softball cruised past No. 6 Florida State, 9-1, to finish off another perfect 5-0 weekend in Clearwater, Florida. The win was the Lady Vols’ (10-0) third over a top-10 team on the young season, with victories over Oregon and UCLA already in their pocket. The Seminoles (8-2) fell for the second time to a top-five team, having already dropped a tight contest to No. 1 Texas Tech.
Tennessee entered the day having given up just one run all weekend, while Florida State came off an 11-run outburst of its own against UCLA.
Sage Mardjetko took the circle for the Lady Vols, with Karlyn Pickens available out of the bullpen, while the Seminoles started with senior lefty Makenna Reid.
The Lady Vols wasted no time jumping out front in the first. Sophia Knight and Gabby Leach led off the game with a pair of hits against the lefty Reid. After Elsa Morrison flew out to right, Ella Dodge drilled a 0-1 pitch up in the zone for a three-run home run, instantly putting Tennessee up 3-0.
After Mardjetko cruised through the first inning, she struggled in the second inning. After a couple of hard-luck soft hits for the Seminoles, she induced a 4-6 fielder’s choice to set up first and third with two out. However, she plunked Bella Ruggiero and Isa Torres back-to-back, handing Florida State a run.
With Pickens ready in the bullpen, head coach Karen Weekly called upon her ace to get out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam. Pickens did what she was asked to, striking out Marin Heller to end the threat.
Just as they did against UCLA, the Lady Vols would get out of a jam and quickly hang a crooked number on the scoreboard.
With two out, and Emma Clarke at first and sister Gabby Leach at second, Alannah Leach hit a grounder through the right side of the infield for a knock, driving in her twin sister to stretch the lead to 4-1. After a walk to Taelyn Holley, Makenzie Butt came off the bench and delivered a pinch-hit two-run single down the right field line. The nine-hitter Bella Faw continued the fun with an RBI knock of her own, but she ran into the third out of the inning trying to stretch for a double.
In all, Tennessee sent nine batters to the plate in its four-run third inning.
Staked to a comfortable lead, Pickens cruised through the middle innings, fighting her command at times but easily keeping a young Seminoles lineup at bay. At one point, the two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year sat down eight in a row to quiet the Florida State offense.
In the seventh, the Lady Vols stretched their lead to 9-1 when Clarke hammered a 2-1 pitch long over the left-center field wall for a two-run shot. The homer was her second in consecutive games, and she put herself up to a career-high three for the season.
Pickens worked a scoreless seventh inning to finish off her third win of the season. Across her 5.1 innings of work, she allowed just one hit and struck out four. Continuing with the dominance of the pitching staff, she still has not allowed an earned run through any of her 24.1 innings of work.
Over the weekend, Tennessee outscored its opponents 43-2. The Lady Vols will take their undefeated record down to Birmingham, Alabama, next weekend for another tournament, where they will open a stretch of four games in three days against Missouri State.
