The Lady Vols are no longer perfect, but they still emerged as winners of the weekend.
Tennessee softball collected its second SEC series win of the season, needing all three games to top Mississippi State at Nusz Park in Starkville, Mississippi.
The top-ranked Lady Vols lost their first game of the year on a walk-off home run but responded in the rubber match to claim the series. The Bulldogs had a strong weekend but came up just short in their first SEC series of the year.
Game one: Tennessee 3, Mississippi State 1
Tennessee’s first SEC road game quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel.
Junior pitcher Sage Mardjetko tossed 8.1 innings, allowing just one hit with five strikeouts. Despite her strong performance, the Lady Vols’ bats provided little support early. The breakthrough came in extra innings. With two outs, Makenzie Butt hit a three-run home run over the right field wall to give her group a 3-0 lead.
Mississippi State fought back as Taylor Troutman hit a leadoff solo shot to center field, cutting the deficit to two runs. Erin Nuwer relieved Mardjetko after the blast and closed out the game with a fielder’s choice and a flyout.
Tennessee finished with seven hits but managed only three through the first seven innings. Butt and Emma Clarke each posted multi-hit outings.
“When you look at their numbers and our numbers, you had a feeling it was going to come down to this,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “It was going to come down to one big swing. Fortunately, we got that swing. Fortunately, there were two people on when we got it to give us a cushion.”
Game two: Mississippi State 1, Tennessee 0
The second game mirrored the first.
The first six innings went by scoreless, and it came down to one big hit. Troutman delivered again for the Bulldogs with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Maddi Rutan worked through a solid outing for the Lady Vols, lasting 4.2 hitless innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Nuwer relieved her from the bullpen, allowing three hits, including the game-winner.
Tennessee struggled at the plate with just two hits. Sophia Knight and Ella Dodge proved to be the only contributors.
“We didn’t compete,” Weekly said. “You knew we were going to lose a game eventually. I’ve said for a few weeks now, as long as we’re fighting and competing, I’m going to tip my hat to the other team and walk off the field.”
Game three: Tennessee 4, Mississippi State 1
Tennessee answered its biggest question of the weekend in the rubber match.
Karlyn Pickens returned to the circle for the first time since suffering an arm strain on March 3 against Belmont. The star pitcher went the distance in her return, throwing 111 pitches over seven innings.
After being shut out in the middle game, the Lady Vols’ offense came alive. Tennessee took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when freshman Taelyn Holley doubled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch. Mississippi State tied it in the bottom half with a solo home run from Gabby Schaeffer.
The Lady Vols regained the lead in the fourth on Clarke’s solo home run to left field, her fifth of the season. Dodge added insurance in the top of the seventh with a bases-loaded single to make it 4-1.
Pickens forced two groundouts and struck out the final batter to secure the series win.
“I just loved our response,” Weekly said. “I loved our body language, our eye contact, we were resetting, and we were communicating with each other in the dugout. Those were the things that were missing yesterday. We needed that wake-up call.”
Up next
With the series victory, Tennessee remains atop the rankings with a 5-1 SEC record and 27-1 overall mark. After facing adversity the past two weekends, the Lady Vols responded well.
They get some much-needed rest this week with no midweek game after playing six straight days. Tennessee returns to action next weekend in Gainesville against Florida, a series beginning March 20.
