University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, February 25
Tampa, Fla.
11:30 a.m.
University of Tennessee
1
vs
0
Clemson
Pickens Tosses Gem, Weekly Checks Off Another Milestone
February 25, 2023 | Softball
TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 9/12 Lady Vols softball team picked up two more wins Saturday at the USF Invitational, defeating No. 5 Clemson 1-0 in game one before run-ruling UIC 12-0 in the afternoon's second game at USF Softball Stadium.
True freshman Karlyn Pickens got the start versus Clemson and tossed a gem as she shutdown the Tigers' potent offense. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native threw her second career complete game and added the second shutout of her career for good measure. The righty improved to 2-1 with the victory over Clemson.
In the day's second game, head coach Karen Weekly reached another milestone in her illustrious career – notching 1,000 wins at the helm of the Lady Vols. Weekly is the second-winningest head coach in Tennessee Athletics history among coaches of head-to-head team sports. She is second to the legendary Pat Summitt who won 1,098 games during her tenure as head coach of the Lady Vols women's basketball program.
Weekly's coaching career spans 27 seasons – five at Chattanooga and 22 on Rocky Top – and she totaled 1,223 wins between the Mocs and Lady Vols.
GAME ONE: #9 Tennessee 1, #5 Clemson 0
A true pitcher's duel, Pickens went pitch for pitch against Clemson's Valerie Cagle, surrendering just four hits as she picked up her second victory of the season. Pickens struck out eight Clemson batters, walked none and handed the Tigers their first loss of the year.
Cagle tossed six innings for Clemson and finished with eight strikeouts. She took the loss and fell to 6-1 in 2023.
With the game scoreless after five, Pickens worked a 1-2-3 top half of the sixth to bring up Tennessee's bats. True freshman Amanda Ahlin led off with an infield single before stealing second to ratchet up the pressure on Cagle.
With two away, sophomore McKenna Gibson lined a single into center field that sent Ahlin racing home for the game's first and only run.
Pickens then trotted back out to the circle for the seventh where she induced back-to-back popouts before recording the final out herself as she fielded a comebacker and made the easy toss to first to seal the win.
Coming into the game, Clemson's offense was outscoring its opponents 113-16. Pickens silenced the Tiger bats as she held them to their fewest hits of the season.
GAME TWO: #9 Tennessee 12, UIC 0
In game two, Tennessee used a pair of big innings to pull away from UIC, scoring five runs in the third and six runs in the fifth. In between, UT pushed one run across the plate in the fourth.
Senior Kiki Milloy went 4-for-4 versus the Flames, scoring one run and driving in a pair. Leadoff hitter Mackenzie Donihoo was also solid at the plate going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a double.
Ryleigh White got the start and tossed a complete-game shutout. She allowed just two hits, walked none and struck out two. The junior is now 2-0 on the year.
The win was UT's seventh run-rule victory of the season, and the Lady Vols are now outscoring their opponents 99-9 through 11 games.
UP NEXT
Tennessee wraps up play at the USF Invitational Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET as it takes on UIC for the second time this weekend.
True freshman Karlyn Pickens got the start versus Clemson and tossed a gem as she shutdown the Tigers' potent offense. The Weaverville, North Carolina, native threw her second career complete game and added the second shutout of her career for good measure. The righty improved to 2-1 with the victory over Clemson.
In the day's second game, head coach Karen Weekly reached another milestone in her illustrious career – notching 1,000 wins at the helm of the Lady Vols. Weekly is the second-winningest head coach in Tennessee Athletics history among coaches of head-to-head team sports. She is second to the legendary Pat Summitt who won 1,098 games during her tenure as head coach of the Lady Vols women's basketball program.
Weekly's coaching career spans 27 seasons – five at Chattanooga and 22 on Rocky Top – and she totaled 1,223 wins between the Mocs and Lady Vols.
GAME ONE: #9 Tennessee 1, #5 Clemson 0
A true pitcher's duel, Pickens went pitch for pitch against Clemson's Valerie Cagle, surrendering just four hits as she picked up her second victory of the season. Pickens struck out eight Clemson batters, walked none and handed the Tigers their first loss of the year.
Cagle tossed six innings for Clemson and finished with eight strikeouts. She took the loss and fell to 6-1 in 2023.
With the game scoreless after five, Pickens worked a 1-2-3 top half of the sixth to bring up Tennessee's bats. True freshman Amanda Ahlin led off with an infield single before stealing second to ratchet up the pressure on Cagle.
With two away, sophomore McKenna Gibson lined a single into center field that sent Ahlin racing home for the game's first and only run.
Pickens then trotted back out to the circle for the seventh where she induced back-to-back popouts before recording the final out herself as she fielded a comebacker and made the easy toss to first to seal the win.
Coming into the game, Clemson's offense was outscoring its opponents 113-16. Pickens silenced the Tiger bats as she held them to their fewest hits of the season.
GAME TWO: #9 Tennessee 12, UIC 0
In game two, Tennessee used a pair of big innings to pull away from UIC, scoring five runs in the third and six runs in the fifth. In between, UT pushed one run across the plate in the fourth.
Senior Kiki Milloy went 4-for-4 versus the Flames, scoring one run and driving in a pair. Leadoff hitter Mackenzie Donihoo was also solid at the plate going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a double.
Ryleigh White got the start and tossed a complete-game shutout. She allowed just two hits, walked none and struck out two. The junior is now 2-0 on the year.
The win was UT's seventh run-rule victory of the season, and the Lady Vols are now outscoring their opponents 99-9 through 11 games.
UP NEXT
Tennessee wraps up play at the USF Invitational Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET as it takes on UIC for the second time this weekend.
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
/ Softball
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