By Lily Helton
The No. 4 Lady Vols have seemed to hit a wall at this point in their season after dropping another close game 2-1 in a series against Ole Miss.
The first game of the series was the Rebels’ first win in Knoxville since 2008, and now, the team’s first series win in Knoxville in history.
The unranked team pulled off a huge upset, and it was expected that the Lady Vols would find a way to adjust and get the bats firing in game two. However, that was not the case, and Ole Miss found a way to upset the Lady Vols once again.
“I don’t mind adversity,” said head coach Karen Weekly. “I’m not surprised this team is going through this.”
Middle Inning Struggle
The Lady Vols struggled all day offensively with only six base hits, one RBI, and one run. Only two strikeouts on the day, but they came in moments that could’ve swayed momentum in favor of Tennessee.
The Lady Vols also had several miscommunications and missed ground balls across the infield and outfield that led to Ole Miss taking the lead in the third inning.
It wasn’t all bad, though. The Lady Vols did rack up six hits across the team. Bella Faw racked in a high-pressure bunt to push her teammates to second and third base, giving her team a chance to come back in the third inning. Maddi Rutan and Sophia Knight both hit doubles in clutch moments, with Knight allowing Taelyn Holley to score the Lady Vols’ only run.
Pitching Success
Another big point of success this afternoon for the Lady Vols was pitching. Karlyn Pickens threw all seven innings, finishing with six strikeouts and only allowing two hits.
Pickens found a way to push through the clutch moments. She found a way to strike out after being two or three balls down. When her team needed her to create a shutout inning on defense, she delivered. Allowing only four walks and making two huge catches at the mound, Pickens gave her all for a Tennessee victory both on the mound and in the field.
Alumni Encouragement
The most heartwarming part of this loss for the Lady Volunteers happened postgame. They stood in a circle, shouting from teammate to teammate, pointing out what they did well that game. Surrounded by fellow softball alumni, they passed along encouragement as teammates across generations. Despite the loss, the Lady Vols left the field smiling next to a mentor.
“They understand where our girls are right now,” said Weekly.
Up Next: Maybe this encouragement from the alumni is just what the Lady Volunteers need to jumpstart their offense and get a win. They meet Ole Miss for the final series game Sunday, March 29. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. ET.