​Friday night brought the beginning of a big series between two top-10 teams, and the Lady Vols persisted to grab an important opening win. 

​Despite an early lead from Florida, the Tennessee outlasted the Gators in seven innings with a 2-1 victory led by the pitching staff. 

The No. 8 Gators (29-2, 6-1 SEC) started the game with pitcher Keagan Rothrock in the circle, where she walked two batters in the first inning but escaped with no runs allowed. Sage Mardjetko started on the other side for the No. 1 Lady Vols (28-1, 6-1), and she retired the home bats in order to start the game. 

​After another quiet offensive inning in the top of the second for the Lady Vols, where they stranded two runners, the Gators responded on the first pitch in the bottom half with a Kenleigh Cahalan solo home run. Florida held an early 1-0 advantage. Despite a fielding error and another single allowed from Mardjetko, she bore down and ended the frame. 

​Rothrock continued to shut down the Tennessee offense, retiring the heart of the lineup in order. After a leadoff single off Mardjetko, she forced the next three Gators hitters down, keeping the pitcher’s duel intact. 

​The offensive silence continued for another inning before the Lady Vols got things going in the top of the fifth. A one-out double from Sophia Knight set the table, and Ella Dodge drove her in the very next at-bat with a double down the right-field line, tying the game at one.  Alannah Leach brought her sister home two batters later with a two-out single to center field, giving Tennessee a 2-1 lead. 

​After exiting the inning with a one-run cushion, Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly turned to Karlyn Pickens to handle the rest of the proceedings. Pickens immediately found a groove, sitting Florida down in order. 

​Despite the rough fifth inning, Rothrock settled back in with a good sixth inning of work, allowing no Lady Vols to reach base in the frame. Pickens, after a strong first inning, lost her footing in the bottom of the sixth as she walked the first two batters, before the third batter reached with the help of a Tennessee fielding error.

​With the bases loaded and no outs, the Gators had perhaps their best chance of the night to do some damage. Instead, Pickens did what she does best, striking out the next three batters without putting the ball in play once, ending the threat.

​Olivia Miller replaced Rothrock in the seventh inning, where the staff continued to shut down the Lady Vols, once again being sat down in order. Pickens went back out for the seventh inning, needing three outs to claim a victory. 

After a leadoff walk, she struck out the next batter for the first out. A single moved the leadoff runner to second, but a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom frame.

​Pickens once again delivered another big-time strikeout, this one ending the game. She finished her night with five strikeouts over just three innings.