By Anna Reiffer
It was all sunshine and rainbows after a soggy start to the Lady Vols’ 3-1 win over the Missouri Tigers.
The Lady Vols opened their final regular-season series with a 32-minute rain delay after just 10 pitches from Missouri starter Cierra Harrison.
Things didn’t get much easier for the Lady Vols once the skies cleared. In fact, it didn’t get easier for either team, as the scoreboard was blank until the fifth.
This is the Lady Vols’ third consecutive win, following their series win against Alabama in Knoxville last weekend.
A game of substitutions
Sage Mardjetko struggled in her brief outing that lasted just 0.2 innings with three walks and loaded bases.
In the best interest of the rest of the series, head coach Karen Weekly called in the big guns, bringing Karlyn Pickens out of the bullpen to relieve Mardjetko.
And as the two-time consecutive SEC Pitcher of the Year does, Pickens pitched an ace, getting the Lady Vols out of the jam.
She went on to pitch the remainder of the game, allowing just four hits, one walk, one earned run and tallied a whopping nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
But the major defensive substitution wasn’t the only one that led to the downfall of the Tigers.
In the top of the fifth inning, Makenzie Butt came up to the plate for Maddi Rutan and ripped a single that drove in Saviya Morgan and Sophia Knight from second and third base, respectively.
Ending the four-inning scoring drought, Butt’s clutch hitting gave the Lady Vols exactly what they needed to get the scoring started with a 2-0 lead over the Tigers.
No mercy in the sixth
The Tigers were unable to stop the bleeding, as the Leach twin connection prevailed in the sixth.
Stepping up to the plate, Alannah Leach’s confidence radiated, and with one sweet swing, she launched a ball over the fence to send the Lady Vols up by three.
This immaculate reality was the culmination of a three-hit night for Alannah, putting increasing pressure on the Tigers as her twin sister, Gabby, stepped into the batter’s box.
Feeling the energy, Gabby slashed a single up the right side of the infield, and with another single from Taelyn Holley, the Tigers pulled Harrison.
Replacing Harrison with Abby Carr, the Tigers cleaned up the inning, with the Lady Vols picking up no additional runs.
No insurance needed
Though allowing a solo shot from Stefania Abruscato, Pickens silenced the Tigers for the rest of the match, striking out three in revenge.
Even more impressive, Pickens managed to lower her ERA, which was already 11th in the NCAA before her substitution at Columbia.
What was a 1.50 ERA when the Lady Vols arrived at Mizzou Softball Stadium is now 1.48, and if the standings remain the same, it ties her at No. 9 with Texas Tech’s Kaitlyn Terry.
The Lady Vols continue their series against the Tigers in Columbia on Friday, with the first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET.
It will be available to stream on SEC Network+.