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Dodge, Pickens lift No. 14 Tennessee to series win over No. 2 OU

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 7.46.34 PMby:Brady Vernon•03/30/25•

BradyVernon

Screenshot 2025-03-30 at 1.10.05 PM
Courtesy of Kyndall Williams/Tennessee Athletics

Ella Dodge knew it before anyone else. The redshirt freshman had delivered the biggest swing of her young career. The lefty’s three-run blast off of Sam Landry gave No. 14 Tennessee a 5-3 advantage, the Lady Vols never surrendered in the rubber match win over No. 2 Oklahoma.

Landry had been cruising, reiting the first 11 batters of the game. Taylor Pannell earned a walk after working a full count, and the tide turned after that. McKenna Gibson picked up the first hit for the Lady Vols and Sophia Nugent walked as well to load the bases.

Laura Mealer lined up down the right field line that hit chalk and drove in two. Oklahoma challenged the play but it was upheld after review. Dodge changed the game for good.

On the other side, Karlyn Pickens was outstanding once again. She did, however, struggle in the third inning. Oklahoma loaded the bases without an out after a pair of singles and a walk. Kasidi Pickering, who had yet to be retired in the series, lined a ball to center past the diving Kinsey Fiedler for a three-run double. Pickens limited the damage to that.

Pickens and Pickering met again after the Lady Vols took the lead. Pickering represented the tying run in the fifth but Pickens finally got the Oklahoma outfielder, sending her down looking on strikes. After walking Abby Dayton to open the fifth, Pickens retired nine of the next 10 batters she faced.

Pickens ended the game allowing four hits – she only allowed one outside of Oklahoma’s three-run inning – striking out six for her 13th win of the season.

Tennessee returns home to host Mississippi State. Oklahoma will be off from SEC play, but the Sooners’ schedule next week includes two games against a scrappy UCF team.

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