The Lady Vols defeated Georgia in the opener of the Super Regional and are now one win away from another trip to the Women’s College World Series.

Karlyn Pickens got the win Thursday evening for Tennessee (46-10) after getting into trouble in the seventh inning and masterfully getting out of it with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and preserve the 3-1 win against Georgia (41-19).

Leadoff hitter Sophia Knight, a lefty, opened the first inning with her first home run of the season over the left center field wall for Tennessee.

“I probably could have seen her pull one more than I could have seen her hit oppo, but she’s got such good hand-eye coordination,” Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. “Just takes the barrel to the ball so efficiently, and she’s able to create some pretty good exit velo.”

Tennessee also got a solo homer from Emma Clarke in the first inning over the center field wall and another solo shot from Alannah Leach in the fifth inning that cleared the seats in center. The Bulldogs’ lone run came from a solo homer by Emily Digby.

“I was going into this at-bat knowing, ‘OK, I’m going to hit away,’ ” Knight said. “I did not think it was going out. I was just running the bases really hard. When I saw it going out, and then having my teammates there, honestly, it almost felt like a dogpile. My heart rate was so fast, but it was the best feeling ever.”

While both Tennessee and Georgia are in the SEC, this was the first meeting of the teams in 2026 because of how the schedule rotates. As the higher seed, the Lady Vols are hosting the Super Regional.

“It came down to the home run, you cannot defend home runs, and they got three of them and we got one, but I thought that we battled,” Georgia coach Tony Baldwin said. “I thought that we forced Karlyn to make some big pitches, and she is a generational pitcher for a reason, she made them tonight.”

The second of the best-of-three series is set for today, May 22, at 3 p.m. with the broadcast on ESPN2. The if necessary game three would be held Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m. The winner in Knoxville gets one of eight berths in the Women’s College World Series.

Weekly wants her players to forget Thursday’s outcome and focus on the second game. Tennessee is trying to get back to Oklahoma City in what would be the third trip of Pickens’ career.

“You’ve got to flush today,” Weekly said as soon as Thursday’s game ended. “Today means nothing. Been in this situation many times. You’ve got to let go of today because it’s a race to two wins, and it doesn’t matter how you get there.

“But if you’re focusing on today, whether you won or lost this game, you’re going to have a tough time tomorrow. Tomorrow’s a brand new ball game. We have to treat it like we’re playing a different team, because it’s going to be that way.”

The post-game press conference with Weekly, Pickens and Knight can be watched HERE.

Pickens threw 132 pitches, allowed seven hits and struck out 10 batters, none bigger than the final two.

“Super adrenaline pumping in that moment, wanting the ball,” Pickens said. “I think the most special moment is getting to turn to my teammates and them all just point at me. Having the confidence and then that gives me even more confidence to go and execute the pitch, so it was just electric.

“Great fight from each team and loved that it ended on a strikeout.”

BASKETBALL

The Lady Vols have 15 new players for the 2026-27 season with two freshmen and 13 via the transfer portal. Tennessee posted a photo of all 15 with their assigned jersey numbers.

Eric Trainer, who handles media relations for Lady Vols basketball, provided some historical context.

Shaelyn Steele, a transfer from Penn State will be the first Lady Vol to ever wear No. 9. Kennedy Fauntleroy, a transfer from East Carolina, will be the first Lady Vol to wear No. 35 since the late Melissa “Emma” McCray did so in 1988-89. Fatmata “Fats” Janneh, a transfer from Texas A&M, will wear No. 44, which was last worn by Alex (Fuller) Simmons in 2008-09.

Maria M. Cornelius, a senior writer/editor at MoxCar Marketing + Communications since 2013, started her journalism career at the Knoxville News Sentinel and began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press and a 10th anniversary edition will be released June 16, 2026.