University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, March 4
Knoxville, Tenn.
3 PM
University of Tennessee
13-1
8
vs
0
Appalachian State
9-5
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
App State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Tennessee
2
0
0
4
2
8
8
0
Pickens’ Perfect Game Highlights Day Two of the Tennessee Classic
March 04, 2023 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4/7 Tennessee softball won both of its games Saturday at the Tennessee Classic thanks to elite pitching at Sherri Lee Parker Stadium. True freshman Karlyn Pickens struck out five of the 15 Appalachian State batters she retired en route to her first-career perfect game. It was the 14th individual and 16th overall perfect game in program history.
Pickens joins Stacey Jennings and Monica Abbott as the only freshmen to throw a perfect game in a Lady Vol uniform.
Payton Gottshall followed up Pickens' perfect performance with a dominant one of her own, allowing only one hit over four innings of work and striking out six Jacksonville State batters.
Tennessee's pitchers retired 30 of 31 batters faced over two games, walking none and combining for 12 strikeouts.
UT (14-1) extended its winning streak to nine games and has now recorded eight consecutive shutouts.
Game One: #4 Tennessee 8, Appalachian State 0
Junior Rylie West had an outstanding day at the plate, recording a career-high three doubles and five RBIs, while totaling three hits.
The Lady Vols wasted no time getting onto the board, putting up two runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Kiki Milloy reached first on an infield single, beating out the throw from shortstop Addie Wray. Following Milloy, sophomore McKenna Gibson walked before West brought her teammates home with a two-run double to right-center to give UT an early 2-0 lead.
Amanda Ahlin kicked things off in the fourth with a single up the middle and eventually made her way home on a wild pitch from Appalachian State pitcher Alannah Hopkins. West recorded her third RBI of the day, fouling out in right field as Milloy raced home to score UT's fourth run. Outfielder Jamison Brockenbrough notched a two-run RBI single, extending Tennessee's lead to six.
West ended her day at the plate with another two-run double in the fifth that brought Gibson and Mackenzie Donihoo home to run-rule the Mountaineers 8-0.
The Lady Vols were patient at the plate all game, registering a season-high 10 walks against the Mountaineers.
Game Two: #4 Tennessee 9, Jacksonville State 0
In game two, Milloy blasted her team-high eighth and ninth home runs of the year against Jacksonville State – extending her on-base streak to 15 straight games.
Tennessee exploded for three runs in the bottom of the first inning behind a two-run single up the middle from Giulia Koutsoyanopulos. Later in the inning, Brockenbrough singled down the left field line to bring Koutsoyanopulos home, giving UT a 3-0 lead after one inning.
In the second, Donihoo led off with a double before Milloy ripped a two-run homer to left center. UT went back-to-back as Gibson's solo shot left the yard in the next at-bat. Tennessee wasn't done as Koutsoyanopulos smoked a two-run shot over the left field wall extending UT's lead to eight.
Milloy recorded her second homer of the day – a solo shot in the bottom of the third – to increase Tennessee's lead to nine.
Junior Ryleigh White entered the game in the bottom of the fifth in relief of Gottshall and closed out the win.
EASY PICKENS
Freshman phenom Karlyn Pickens has three starts this season with three complete-game shutouts. Over 23.2 innings pitched, the righthander has thrown 23 strikeouts and allowed zero walks.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols wrap up play in the Tennessee Classic on Sunday, facing Jacksonville State at noon ET before taking on Belmont at 5 p.m.
Pickens joins Stacey Jennings and Monica Abbott as the only freshmen to throw a perfect game in a Lady Vol uniform.
Payton Gottshall followed up Pickens' perfect performance with a dominant one of her own, allowing only one hit over four innings of work and striking out six Jacksonville State batters.
Tennessee's pitchers retired 30 of 31 batters faced over two games, walking none and combining for 12 strikeouts.
UT (14-1) extended its winning streak to nine games and has now recorded eight consecutive shutouts.
Game One: #4 Tennessee 8, Appalachian State 0
Junior Rylie West had an outstanding day at the plate, recording a career-high three doubles and five RBIs, while totaling three hits.
The Lady Vols wasted no time getting onto the board, putting up two runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Kiki Milloy reached first on an infield single, beating out the throw from shortstop Addie Wray. Following Milloy, sophomore McKenna Gibson walked before West brought her teammates home with a two-run double to right-center to give UT an early 2-0 lead.
Amanda Ahlin kicked things off in the fourth with a single up the middle and eventually made her way home on a wild pitch from Appalachian State pitcher Alannah Hopkins. West recorded her third RBI of the day, fouling out in right field as Milloy raced home to score UT's fourth run. Outfielder Jamison Brockenbrough notched a two-run RBI single, extending Tennessee's lead to six.
West ended her day at the plate with another two-run double in the fifth that brought Gibson and Mackenzie Donihoo home to run-rule the Mountaineers 8-0.
The Lady Vols were patient at the plate all game, registering a season-high 10 walks against the Mountaineers.
Game Two: #4 Tennessee 9, Jacksonville State 0
In game two, Milloy blasted her team-high eighth and ninth home runs of the year against Jacksonville State – extending her on-base streak to 15 straight games.
Tennessee exploded for three runs in the bottom of the first inning behind a two-run single up the middle from Giulia Koutsoyanopulos. Later in the inning, Brockenbrough singled down the left field line to bring Koutsoyanopulos home, giving UT a 3-0 lead after one inning.
In the second, Donihoo led off with a double before Milloy ripped a two-run homer to left center. UT went back-to-back as Gibson's solo shot left the yard in the next at-bat. Tennessee wasn't done as Koutsoyanopulos smoked a two-run shot over the left field wall extending UT's lead to eight.
Milloy recorded her second homer of the day – a solo shot in the bottom of the third – to increase Tennessee's lead to nine.
Junior Ryleigh White entered the game in the bottom of the fifth in relief of Gottshall and closed out the win.
EASY PICKENS
Freshman phenom Karlyn Pickens has three starts this season with three complete-game shutouts. Over 23.2 innings pitched, the righthander has thrown 23 strikeouts and allowed zero walks.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols wrap up play in the Tennessee Classic on Sunday, facing Jacksonville State at noon ET before taking on Belmont at 5 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pickens, Karlyn (3-1)
L: Kapri Toone (1-2)
Batting:
2B: West, Rylie 3
RBI: West, Rylie 5 ; Brockenbrough, Jamison 2
SH: Taylor, Katie 1
SF: West, Rylie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Donihoo, Mackenzie 1 ; Milloy, Kiki 2 ; Gibson, McKenna 2 ; Mesusan, Brylee 1 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 1 ; Ahlin, Amanda 1
SB: Milloy, Kiki 2 ; Gibson, McKenna 1 ; Koutsoyanopulos, Giulia 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
3
RBI
5
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
P
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