From the opening pitch to the final out, Thursday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium had everything.
Tennessee used a two-home run first inning and Karlyn Pickens at her best to beat Georgia 3-1 in game one of the Knoxville Super Regional. No. 7 Tennessee (46-10, 15-15 SEC) fended off a bases-loaded threat in the seventh inning to take the series opener against No. 10 Georgia (41-19, 12-12) in front of a crowd that roared from first pitch.
“What a great game,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “Just an incredible atmosphere. I think the fans were getting after each other from the first inning on.”
Sophia Knight made sure the crowd had something to cheer for early. The leadoff hitter drove Georgia’s fourth pitch of the game to center field and watched it clear the wall for her second-career home run.
“She’s just such a talented player with so many tools in her box,” Weekly said. “And for her first home run at Tennessee to be an oppo ball against Georgia in Supers — that’s pretty special.”
Emma Clarke followed two at-bats later with her 13th of the season, giving Tennessee a 2-0 lead before Georgia had recorded the second out. Two walks kept the inning alive, but Makenzie Butt and Elsa Morrison couldn’t cash them in. Gabby Leach struck out on a full count to end the frame.
Despite the early setback, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to one in the second. A two-out solo shot was the only damage on the scoreboard, but Pickens also surrendered a single and a walk in the frame. Knight added a double in her next at-bat, but a fly out to left stranded her there.
Tennessee had chances to extend the lead and kept leaving runners on base. Gabby Leach reached on a fielding error and Bella Faw laid down a perfect bunt to put two on. Taelyn Holley’s sacrifice bunt moved both up, but Knight struck out and Ella Dodge lined out to third to strand both.
Alannah Leach gave the Lady Vols some breathing room in the fifth. Her 13th home run of the year, a towering shot to center field, pushed the lead back to two at 3-1.
It held up, but not without a late scare.
Neither team scored in the sixth, but Georgia threatened in the seventh. A double, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. Pickens punched out the last two batters to slam the door, finishing with 10 strikeouts and her 56th career complete game.
“Super adrenaline pumping in that moment,” Pickens said. “I think the most special moment is just getting to turn to my teammates and seeing them pointing at me, having the confidence. And then that gives me even more confidence to go and execute the pitch. It was just electric.”
Knight said there’s never a doubt watching Pickens work from the field.
“She is the most competitive person I’ve ever played with,” Knight said. “You see it in her eyes — this girl’s not getting on base. And if she does, the next girl’s not.”
Game two of the Knoxville Super Regional is set for Friday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium at 3 p.m. EST. If the Lady Vols win, they’ll punch their ticket to Oklahoma City for their third straight Women’s College World Series.
