​After a road win against Florida, the Lady Vols could not keep the Gators down for long.

​The Tennessee offense fell quiet, and the pitching staff couldn’t pick things up as the Lady Vols dropped their second game of the season, 5-2, to Florida. 

Erin Nuwer started for Tennessee (28-2, 6-2 SEC), and despite some early swings from the Gators (30-2, 7-1), she proved able to escape the bottom of the first inning with no damage allowed. The scoring didn’t get started until the top of the second inning. Freshman catcher Elsa Morrison connected with a pitch for her third home run of the season, putting the No. 1 Lady Vols ahead with an early 2-0 lead. 

Nuwer went back to work in the bottom half, but No. 8 Florida began to generate some offense. Ella Wesolowski drew a one-out walk to kickstart a rally. A wild pitch advanced her to second before Gabi Comia kept the theme going with another base on balls. Runners stood at first and second. After a fielder’s choice got the second out, another wild pitch from brought in the Gators’ first run of the afternoon. The tying run later scored in the inning off an error. Karlyn Pickens replaced Nuwer, ending things there. 

​After a quick two outs in the top of the third inning, Florida starter Katelynn Oxley walked the next two Tennessee batters, enough to remove her from the game in favor of Olivia Miller. She forced Gabby Leach to foul out to third base, ending the threat and keeping the game tied. 

​Pickens’ fortunes didn’t bode the same as they did in the series opener. The Gators continued to see the ball well in the bottom of the third. After a Madison Walker two-run home run put her team up 4-2, Cassidy McLellan kept things rolling with a solo shot. The blast marked Pickens’ third earned run of the afternoon.

​The Lady Vols mustered two hits in the top of the fourth in an attempt to respond, but Miller bunkered down and allowed no runs to cross.

Miller sat Tennessee down in order in the fifth, striking out Emma Clarke to end the inning. ​Nuwer came back in to pitch for Pickens after her rough third inning, and she settled in and looked sharp for the rest of the outing. 

​Another three-up, three-down frame at the plate played out for the Lady Vols in the top of the sixth and seventh. 

​A Taelyn Holley strikeout, Maddi Ruttan groundout and a Bella Faw lineout ended the game, handing Tennessee its second loss of the campaign. Both have come in SEC play.

​The rubber match will take place on March 22.