#7 Seed·Knoxville Regional·Final
Pickens Closes Knoxville With A 5-1 Gem
Winner
Tennessee
CHALK · CALLED ITChalk in Knoxville. Tennessee swept 3-0 — 3-1 over Northern Kentucky, 7-5 over Virginia, 5-1 over Virginia in the title. Pickens went the distance in the championship, holding Macee Eaton to one hit. The wobble came in Game 4 when Virginia clawed back to 7-5, but Pickens slammed the door before it cracked.
1
TennesseeFAVORITE
BatGabby Leach — .410 BA early
CircleKarlyn Pickens — 13-7, 1.44 ERA, world-record velo
2
VirginiaTHREAT
BatMacee Eaton — .447 BA, 60 RBI
CircleEden Bigham — 11-1, 3.10 ERA
D1 Softball Top 100; lost ACC quarters 3-1.
3
IndianaDARK HORSE
BatDevin Simon — 46 hits (team-high)
CircleElla Troutt — 2.32 ERA, 87.2 IP
5-game win streak entering Big Ten Tournament.
4
Northern KentuckyEASY OUT
Second Horizon League title in program history.
X-Factor
The Game 2 dogfight. Tennessee scored 4 in the 3rd, Virginia chipped it to 7-5, but the bullpen behind Pickens held. Eaton finished the weekend 2-for-12.