Payton Gottshall thought she was having poor game.
“I didn’t feel loose,” Gottshall said. “I mean, it was spinning, I was hitting some spots, but overall, I just didn’t feel it was my best day.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Gottshall made it into the seventh inning with a perfect game intact. She didn’t finish with the perfect game, as she allowed two singles and was pulled for Karlyn Pickens.
Gottshall has thrown three perfect games in her career, but all came during her time at Bowling Green. She threw a complete-game no-hitter against Northern Kentucky but could have thrown her first perfect game with the Lady Vols.
When she went out for the seventh inning, she didn’t know that a perfect game was possible.
“Apparently, Payton had no idea,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “The first she knew that she was throwing a perfect game was when she did the post-game interview.”
Not having all the available information allowed Gottshall to limit the pressure she faced. She could play freely, even when facing a personal achievement. That allowed her to help her team to victory, even when Tennessee’s offense struggled for most of its innings.
LSU ran seven left-handed batters against Gottshall, all of which got sent down continuously. The graduate pitcher only allowed two hits in her 6.1 innings of work, not earning any walks. Gottshall struck out three LSU batters, two of which stood to her left.
Even though the circumstances were against her, Gottshall found a way to get 19 consecutive outs. She had to put in a strong performance, but she was able to do so.
“I have to work really hard and hit my spots really well and kind of stick to my thing but also give a little bit because they’re not going to be swinging their stuff in the river,” Gottshall said. “So it just forces me to put a little bit more on the plate and just be that much better.”
Gottshall has been consistent all season. She ended the game with a 1.06 ERA and has only thrown 19 walks this season. The win improved her record to 16-3, and she has now thrown six or more innings eight times this season.
When facing challenges, such as a lineup that heavily skews left-handed, Gottshall did what she always does.
“Payton is a dog out there, and number two, she kept her pitches,” Weekly said. “She’s able to spin the ball, though, and she trusts her defense behind her. It’s all those things.”
Gottshall has consistently been one of the most energetic members of the Lady Vols. As she came back out for the seventh inning, with Motörhead’s “The Game” blaring through Sherri Parker Lee Stadium’s speakers, Gottshall was as excited as ever.
When Pickens came in to close out the game, Gottshall passed along that same energy. Pickens will need to face high-pressure relief situation. With strong LSU bats coming up, Weekly thought it was the perfect opportunity.
“They had their two best hitters arguably up right there,” Weekly said. “I think it’s good for Karlyn to be put in that situation because as we get into postseason play, they’re going to have to help each other out and be in the starting and relief roles.”
