Tennessee softball dominated for three consecutive games in all facets of the game, leading to a three-game sweep over the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Lady Vols (37,6 12-6) outscored the Wildcats 21-3 over the three-game series, with all three Kentucky (24-22, 1-17) runs coming in the final game of the series Monday.
Here’s a rundown of the three-game series win.
Saturday, April 11
The series started Saturday, with pitcher Karlyn Pickens tabbed for the start, and she arguably delivered her best start of the season.
Pickens posted seven innings of no-hit softball, marking her fourth career no-hitter with the Lady Vols in her four-year career. Amid the seven innings of dominance, Pickens tallied 12 strikeouts while walking just one batter.
“I thought Karlyn set a great tone for us, from the very beginning,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “I thought her presence was confident, joyful, big smile on her face, the way she was interacting with her teammates, the way she was responding to everything out there, she really attacked and got them off balance early.”
“Today just seemed to be one of those days where everything was working,” Pickens added Saturday. “Megan (Rhodes Smith) and I were connected, and Elsa was behind the plate doing a great job, just felt really confident with all my pitches.”
Pickens wasn’t the only one on the team to set a tone, though, as the Lady Vols clobbered four home runs in the opening game.
Emma Clarke got things started with a solo shot in the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie, before Elsa Morrison and Gabby Leach joined in the sixth inning with two more big swings.
Ella Dodge added the dagger in the top of the seventh to put the Lady Vols up 5-0, which ended as the game’s final score.
All but one run came from four separate solo shots.
Sunday, April 12
After a big tone-setting first game from both sides of the Lady Vols, they kept the momentum rolling with a 6-0 game two victory.
Sage Mardjetko was tabbed with the start and followed up Pickens’ first game with five innings of shutout softball. She struck out five and walked just one before being removed for Pickens.
“I was feeling good,” Mardjetko said. “Staying confident and trusting my defense. It wasn’t my best outing, with not all my pitches working, but just trusting the defense, trusting the preparation and going out there and just getting it done.”
Pickens tossed the final two innings, staying locked in, striking out four, and once again allowing no hits.
The offense, unlike Saturday, hit no home runs, yet still delivered more runs. Taelyn Holley continued to swing the bat well, going 2-for-4 on the evening with an RBI.
Monday, April 13
After Mardjertko and Pickens were called on for the first two games, that left sophomore Erin Nuwer as the starter for game three.
Nuwer was tagged the most of any pitcher on the weekend. She finished her day with five innings, allowing three runs with only one being earned, striking out five and walking one batter.
Yet the fireworks Monday came once again from the offense, led by Maddi Ruttan and Alannah Leach, who combined for five hits.
Rutan went 3-for-3, with a walk and two runs batted in, while Leach went 2-for-2 with a walk of her own and three runs batted in.
“Just kept telling myself to keep it simple,” Leach said. “Trusting my process, and my plan of just going up to bat, seeing the ball, hitting the ball and trusting my instincts when I’m up there.”
The simple approach seemed to be infectious. The Lady Vols reached base 19 times through 13 hits and six walks. The team had scored nine runs by the end of the third inning.
“Complete difference in the way we started the game,” Weekly said. “The conviction in our swings, the mindset, the attitude of everybody, you could just feel it. That’s what we were at the start of the season, and that’s what we’re working so hard to get back to.”
