by Tristan Thornhill
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6/7 Lady Vol softball (23-4) defeated the UConn Huskies in game one of a rescheduled doubleheader 9-1 on Friday evening.
It’s only fitting that the Lady Vols broke out the Summitt Blues taking on UCONN this weekend. Head coach Karen Weekly mentioned after their midweek matchup against Duke they would “talk about Pat Summitt” throughout the week with the rivalry that the Huskies bring anytime they take on Tennessee.
It was a windy evening in Knoxville as the Karlyn Pickens and the Lady Vols opened their weekend series with a walk-off run-rule win.
Pickens earned win number eight on her season and stuck out eight in five innings of work. She gave up her first homer since the Georgia series when Lexi Hastings took her deep to right center field.
The Lady Vols jumped to an early 1-0 lead after Sophia Nugent flew out to centerfield, and Amanda Ahlin scored on the tag. Ella Dodge, however, was called out for leaving too early from second, ending the inning for the Lady Vols.
Hastings tied it up the very next inning with a solo blast in the top of the third on a 2-2 pitch.
However, the Lady Vols immediately responded with a four-run third inning.
Emma Clarke walked, then advanced to second on a single through the left side by Saviya Morgan. Kinsey Fiedler singled to center field, then advanced on the throw, scoring Clarke, and making it 2-1 Lady Vols.
Then Taylor Pannell, who has been tearing the cover off the ball lately, homered off the scoreboard to left-center field, her eleventh of the year, making it 5-1 Tennessee.
Earlier in the week, Weekly credited Pannell for “slowing things down at the plate… She’s become a professional hitter.” Because of her approach and patience, she’s been tremendous for Tennessee so far this season.
At the bottom of the fourth, Laura Mealer homered on a line drive that snuck right over the 200-foot indicator on the wall on the left.
After Clarke reached on a single, Leach followed it up with a double to right-center field, setting Fiedler up with another RBI opportunity.
Fiedler took advantage of the opportunity with a 2 RBI single to right. Making it 8-1 Lady Vols, setting the ladies up perfectly for a walk-off next inning.
After Pickens set the Husky lineup down in order, the Summitt Blues got to work trying to end game 1 early.
Pannell walked but was called out at second on a fielder’s choice, but McKenna Gibson was safe at first.
Ella Dodge wore one in the shoulder, granting her first, and advancing Gibson to second.
Then, as if it were on cue, on the first pitch she saw Nugent lined one of the top of the right field wall to walk it off for the Lady Vols.
Nugent was only inches away from making it an 11-1 walk-off, but I’m sure she’ll settle for the single, as the Lady Vols take game one of the doubleheader.
After game 2, the Lady Vols wrap up the UConn series on Sunday at noon EST.