Tennessee softball went out to California for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and rewrote the school record book this past weekend.
From Karlyn Pickens tossing a perfect game to Kiki Milloy breaking the career home runs record, it was a memorable trip out west.
Here’s the rundown from the week of softball.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Game one in the trip out west was eventful. While taking down Loyola Marymount 4-0, Milloy’s blast to left not only provided insurance but also etched her name into the record book.
The home run marked No. 58 in her career which passed Meghan Gregg for the most in school history. She also holds the single-season home run record after breaking it in 2023.
This wasn’t the only history made on Friday, though. Pickens would go all seven innings without allowing a single runner and completing the perfect game. She struck out 12 in the effort.
Pickens now joins Monica Abbott and Erin Gabriel as the only Lady Vols to have thrown multiple perfect games in their Tennessee career.
The second game on Friday didn’t go as planned. Against Cal State Fullerton, the bats slowed down and the pitching couldn’t limit things in the field.
Tennessee struck first with a Taylor Pannell home run in the second but gave up 11 runs in the final four innings before being run-ruled.
Payton Gottshall was handed the loss in the circle after starting the game and throwing 3.2 innings and allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits.
Tennessee bounced back strong the next day, though. It took down Oregon State 6-1 with Gottshall back in the circle.
She threw a complete game and allowed one run on four hits while striking out nine. This improved her record to 3-2 on the season.
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At the plate, home runs from Milloy, Rylie West and Sophia Nugent helped create the five-run difference in the game.
Tennessee wrapped up Saturday with a second win. Against UCF, the Lady Vols used a shutout to come out on top.
It was once again Pickens dominating on the rubber. She threw the complete game shutout despite allowing six hits. Her 14 strikeouts were a career-high as batters struggled to put the ball in play.
Pannell’s two-RBI double and a fielding error on a ball hit by McKenna Gibson are what gave Tennessee its three runs in the win.
Sunday featured a dominating win to get the day started. Against Hawai’i an effective approach at the plate and in the circle got the job done.
Tennessee would jump to an 8-0 lead through three innings before allowing a run. Home runs by West and Zaida Puni helped reach the mark.
The Lady Vols used both Ryleigh White and Charli Orsini in the circle with Orsini earning the win. They combined to allow just two runs on eight hits.
Tennessee’s win streak came to an end in the final game of the trip. No. 19 UCLA got the best of the Lady Vols with Pickens and Gottshall pitching.
The Bruins produced six runs with two home runs and nine hits. The pair did strike out eight in six innings of work.
At the plate, Destiny Rodriguez homered to start the game but the Lady Vols’ only other run was a Nugent bomb in the fourth inning.
Overall, it was a 4-2 trip to California with a five-game stretch at home next weekend.
â Mar. 1 (Fri): vs. Stetson (Tennessee Classic)
â Mar. 1 (Fri): vs. Brown (Tennessee Classic)
â Mar. 2 (Sat): vs. TBD (Tennessee Classic)
â Mar. 2 (Sat): vs. Longwood (Tennessee Classic)
â Mar. 3 (Sun): vs. TBD (Tennessee Classic)
*All games played in Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team dropped game two to Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, 8-1. The Rebels clinch the series, the first time Ole Miss has won a series in Knoxville since 2016.
A bright spot for the Vols was Tegan Kuhns who threw 5.2 innings not allowing a run, striking out 10 batters on five hits.
Cam Appenzeller picked up his first loss of the season coming in out of the bullpen for Kuhns. The SEC Freshman of the Week did not have a great outing. Appenzeller went 2.1 innings giving up six earned runs.
Tennessee escaped a shutout as Trent Grindlinger hit a solo home run in the ninth inning. Grindlinger’s home run was one of Tennessee’s two hits on the night.
The Volunteers look to avoid the series sweep as theY round out the series with Ole Miss on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network+.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
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