No. 4 Lady Vols win twice on Saturday, sweep Ole Miss

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The fourth-ranked Lady Vols softball team picked up two wins over Ole Miss on Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, sweeping the Rebels to begin SEC play 3-0. UT won game one 8-2 before taking the series finale 1-0.

Tennessee (20-1, 3-0 SEC) has now won 15 consecutive games – its longest win streak since 2018. It is also the second year in a row the Lady Vols have opened SEC play with a series victory.

Pitching has played a key role in the current run of form for Tennessee and continued to play a big part in both wins on Saturday. Senior Payton Gottshall started game one and tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs on three hits, while striking out 10. With the win, the Massillon, Ohio, native is now 6-0 on the year.

In game two, true freshman Karlyn Pickens got the ball and threw a one-hit complete-game shutout. The righty struck out eight on the night as she picked up her fourth victory of the year.

In all four of Karlyn Pickens’ wins this season she has thrown a complete-game shutout. In her starts, Pickens has allowed just seven hits and stuck out 25. She surrendered the first three walks of her career in Saturday’s win over Ole Miss. The freshman pitched 26.2 innings before allowing a walk.

UP NEXT

The Lady Vols head out for an extended spring break road trip, making a stop in Columbia, Tennessee, for the Mid-State Classic against Austin Peay on March 15. Tennessee then visits Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a three-game set at LSU March 17-19.