Dan Fleser
With a powerful forward motion and the scythe-like sweep of her right arm, Karlyn Pickens threw 284 pitches on behalf of Tennessee softball this weekend.
Of that total, 221 came after the Lady Vols had dropped Friday’s opening game of a Super Regional against Nebraska and its own pitching superstar, Jordy Bahl. Thereafter, UT’s postseason fate hung on every Pickens’ pitch throughout two games at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium that had a Women’s College World Series feel to them. The real deal in Oklahoma City now awaits after Pickens ushered her team through its nervy 1-0 victory on Sunday.
This setting, this sort of tension was Karen Weekly’s idea of serenity. Her pitcher has become that comforting for Tennessee’s veteran coach. Imagine how she feels now after Pickens allowed just two runs and struck out 21 in two elimination games.
“I’m just blessed to have a front row seat on this journey with her. The talent is incredible but it’s the character, it’s the willingness to embrace those moments, to want the ball, to just be the ultimate competitor in those moments.
“So, actually, surprisingly for me, there’s a lot of peace in a way because I just know what she’s capable of.”
Must be nice. The pitcher, on the other hand, had to pull herself together after Friday’s 5-2 meltdown before returning to the loneliness of that pitcher’s circle. As for those moments, Pickens was asked specifically about a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning on Sunday, a scenario she had helped create by hitting a batter, throwing a wild pitch and issuing her lone walk of the game.
“I’m glad to know Karen had some peace of mind during that moment. Little bit different (perspective) than Karen’s probably.”
You think. In Pickens’ mind, she had a mess on her hands.
“I’ve said it before: if I’m going to get us into those situations. Then I’m going to do everything to get us out of them.”
In that instance, a three-pitch strikeout of Lauren Camenzind to end the threat meant everything to Pickens as well as the Lady Vols.
Said Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle: “I don’t feel like anybody backed away from the moment. I don’t feel like that at all. I just feel like Pickens out-executed us in that moment. It came down to she got swings and misses, and we couldn’t put the ball in play.”
For all of her pitches, Pickens didn’t take one swing for Tennessee’s cause. Her pitching rival had the upper hand there and it nearly was the difference. Bahl, who won 44 games and two national championships at Oklahoma before transferring to her home-state university, doubled as the Cornhuskers’ leadoff hitter and had two hits, reached on a walk and scored three runs in the first two games. She scored twice in Nebraska’s victory, diving head-first across home plate for the second run.
Pickens silenced Bahl on Sunday with an 0-for-3, striking her out twice. Still, Pickens needed someone, anyone in the batter’s box to complement her heroics. Up stepped Ella Dodge with that one swing, which barely cleared the center field fence for a first-inning home run.
At first, the redshirt freshman was perhaps the only one who saw her big hit for what it truly was. The ball initially was ruled to be off the wall and Dodge was tagged out at third base after she kept going.
Weekly: “Ella saw it hit the railing (behind the fence).
Dodge: “Yeah, I did. I did. I swear.”
The play was reviewed and then everyone got the picture.
“(The pitch) almost jammed me a little bit,” Dodge said. “I got enough (bat) barrel on it.”
Dodge, who came into the Super Regional with an unremarkable .244 batting average and five homers, was elevated from the ninth spot to third in Tennessee’s batting order following Friday’s loss. The second baseman was rewarded for taking some good swings at Bahl’s pitches and the intent was to give her more opportunity. She responded immediately with a two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday’s 3-2 victory.
On Sunday, along with the homer, she made a great defensive play – one of at least three by UT – sprawling on the infield dirt to snag Samantha Bland’s first-inning grounder and throwing her out from the seat of her pants.
In the process, Dodge made a mess of her uniform. A sudden slide into third during the home-run confusion in the bottom of the inning made her dirtier. Not to worry, though. Pickens cleaned up after her.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who has covered University of Tennessee athletics since 1988. He is a member of the Tennessee Sportswriters, U.S Basketball Writers and Greater Knoxville Sports Halls of Fame. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.