After a 12-0 shellacking on Saturday night, the Lady Vols turned the tide in a big way on Sunday afternoon.
Sage Mardjetko was lights-out for Tennessee in the circle, holding the Crimson Tide scoreless in a 2-0 win. The junior struck out six, nearly tossing a no-hitter. She allowed a single in the bottom of the seventh and allowed three walks, but was otherwise perfect for the Lady Vols.
“Today was her game,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “She’s made the transformation from going out there and beating herself up and trying to be perfect to ‘I’m just going to throw my pitch and whatever happens, happens.'”
Mardjetko was locked in from the moment she stepped in the circle, striking out her first batter before picking up two ground outs. The Lady Vols continued their struggles at the plate early, going three-up, three-down to start the game as Alabama’s Vic Moton kept them chasing.
The second inning was more of the same from both sides. Mardjetko set Alabama down in order, while Tennessee managed a foul out, flyout and strikeout. Despite no offensive production, Mardjetko’s early command showed that the Lady Vols weren’t going down without a fight.
She carved through Alabama’s lineup again in the third, a stark difference from Saturday. The Crimson Tide couldn’t square her up, and Tennessee’s defense made the plays they needed to help its pitcher.
Taelyn Holley picked up the Lady Vols’ first hit in five innings, singling up the middle. She stole second but was stranded after two pop-outs and a groundout.
Alabama had a chance to plate one in the fourth, but a strong finish from Mardjetko held them fruitless. She walked a batter, then hit the next one with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts stranded both, firing up both the dugout and the stadium.
“Just trusting my stuff and trusting my teammates,” Mardjetko said. “Knowing the defense had me. We’re really big on rebounding, so anytime something happens, just coming back and getting the next out.”
Ella Dodge singled in the bottom of the frame and reached second on a passed ball, but three straight outs left her hanging.
After another short inning by the Crimson Tide, the Lady Vols woke up at the plate.
Gabby Leach launched a solo shot to right field, scoring Tennessee’s first run in 13 innings. Holley and Meredith Barnhart walked, but both were stranded after two strikeouts halted the Lady Vols’ momentum.
“The biggest thing for me was just flushing my past at-bats,” Leach said. “Not bringing that into the at-bat. I know I’d been going down swinging at balls, but my biggest thing was flushing it and not letting that carry on. Just resetting and getting a ball I could barrel.”
One walked for Alabama, but Mardjetko and Tennessee’s defense picked up the three outs. Emma Clarke hammered a home run off the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Lady Vols a 2-0 lead with three outs left for the Crimson Tide.
“I thought Emma had really good at-bats all day,” Weekly said. “And I think that’s what put her in a spot to do what she did to give us the insurance run.”
Mardjetko walked the first batter and allowed a single to the third, losing her no-hitter with two outs left. She secured the last out by way of a comebacker, ending the game in a fitting way.
“We just tell ourselves the story is already written,” Mardjetko said. “Not doing too much, just staying within who we are. Going out there and playing the game we love.”
The Lady Vols tied the series, shutting Alabama out for the first time this season. The rubber match is set for 7 p.m. on April 27.
“I loved the way we flushed it,” Weekly said about the turnaround. “A game like that, you’re not going to start picking it apart. It’s just crap happens, and it was one of those nights where things got away from you quick. All you can do is put that behind you and recommit to being the team that you were.”
