When it came down to the wire, Karlyn Pickens did what she always does.
The junior pitcher started the seventh inning with a one-run lead but allowed a single up the middle to start the inning. After two productive outs, Duke’s runner stood just 60 feet away from tying the game.
Pickens’ confidence never wavered. She ended the game with a strikeout, overcoming her offense only scoring one run by allowing no Duke runners to cross the plate, giving Tennessee softball a 1-0 win.
“She thrives in those situations,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “You can see it. I wish we didn’t put her in those situations as much.”
While Tennessee’s offense has been strong in certain games, it’s been inconsistent. The Lady Vols were shut out in an eight-inning loss to Oregon and didn’t score after the first inning against UCLA.
In Tuesday’s win, Taylor Pannell’s home run was the only one for the Lady Vols. In the biggest home game so far this season, Tennessee only put up four hits.
On her end of the game, Pickens met the challenge of Duke. Tennessee’s offense didn’t consistently do it.
“This is the kind of softball you’re going to be playing in the postseason,” Weekly said. “If you want to guarantee that you advance, you’ve got to have really competitive at-bats.”
Tennessee had opportunities to score more throughout the game despite the lack of hits. In the third inning, Ella Dodge and Saviya Morgan reached and advanced to second on a bunt. A strikeout and line out ended the inning without the Lady Vols extending their lead.
Pannell and McKenna Gibson put two more runners on for the Lady Vols in the sixth with nobody out. Pinch runners didn’t get the opportunity to advance after two strikeouts, and a can of corn off Sophia Nugent’s bat ended the frame and put Pickens in a tough situation.
Tennessee failed to stay aggressive on offense and be consistent in its approach. Craig Snider was brought in as the hitting coach to challenge the Lady Vols in their approach. While that has happened at points this season, it didn’t in Tuesday’s win.
“I felt like we kept the bat on our shoulder when we got what we needed to swing at,” Weekly said. “But then once you do that, when you get to two strikes, the approach has to completely change.”
Tennessee struggled to be consistent, especially with runners aboard. The Lady Vols only put up one run, and it came from Pannell’s early success.
The Lady Vols offense was lucky to have the support of Pickens in Tuesday’s win. Without her, and with some more production from Duke’s offense, Tennessee could have picked up a midweek loss.
“I think it was just a confidence thing,” Pannell said. “A little hesitant, but I think we’ll snap out of it because we learned from tonight and we learned throughout the game just getting what we want.”
Instead, Tennessee won behind the pitcher who has carried an offense to several wins over her career. When it came time to excel in a tight situation, Pickens didn’t flinch.
Now in her third season, Pickens doesn’t shy away from the pressure, which led to a win over the Blue Devils.
“I’d say I’ve come a long way from freshman year being in those situations,” Pickens said. “I definitely get amped up a little bit more.”
