Karlyn Pickens pitched in relief Thursday with the Lady Vols trailing by a run, didn’t allow a hit, earned a 3-1 win against South Carolina and got surprised with a “golden ticket” after the game.

The ticket is a guaranteed entry into the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) via the college draft, and it was presented to Pickens by legendary softball pitcher Jennie Finch.

Coach Karen Weekly knew about the ceremony but couldn’t tell anyone, not even her staff or husband Ralph Weekly.

“I got the call, but it was like, ‘You’ve got to keep this under lock and key,’ and I didn’t tell anybody,” Karen Weekly said. “When they told me Jennie Finch was going to come present it, I knew that was going to be really, really special, because that’s somebody that Karlyn looked up to when she was a little girl. Jennie is an icon in this sport, so for her to be here it’s very special.”

When the game ended – the three runs came from two homers by Alannah Leach and one by Emma Clarke – the PA signaled that a special ceremony would be held and everyone moved toward the field out of the dugout.

“We did a good job keeping it secret and keeping it a surprise, and that’s what’s so neat, is to watch the reaction on everybody’s face, not just Karlyn’s, but her teammates,” Karen Weekly said. “So much love for her. She’s such a great teammate.”

Pickens had missed some time this season with an arm issue and had been working her way back into form in the circle. On Thursday, vintage Pickens appeared, and she visibly looked more comfortable and at ease in the circle in 4.2 innings of work.

“You look at stat line, no walks, she got after batters, her changeup was on,” Weekly said. “Those are the kinds of strides that we wanted to see, and we knew it was going to take some time. She took some big steps towards getting to 100% and I don’t mean 100% physically, but just 100% with the feel of her pitches.”

The AUSL delivers the tickets in person to players, who get to celebrate in front of a home crowd with teammates, family and fans.

“Everything that I’ve had here at Tennessee has been so special, and it’s probably going to make me emotional at some point,” Pickens said. “It was so special being able to look up at my parents, my boyfriend, he’s actually going overseas in two weeks to play basketball, so, for him to come and see this moment, it was really special. Surrounded with our amazing fan base, my teammates, coaches, everyone here, I couldn’t have asked for a better moment.”

Pickens also got plenty of help from her defense, especially the stellar play of Ella Dodge at second base. In the first inning with Sage Mardjetko in the circle and runners at first and second with two outs, a single through the left side by South Carolina was scooped by left fielder Alannah Leach, who fired a laser home that beat the runner by at least five feet to end the inning. The runner didn’t even slide and instead attempted to reverse course but was quickly tagged out.

“As soon as they hit that, I thought, ‘Oh, please send her,’ Weekly said. “And when they did, I said to myself, ‘You’re going to regret you sent her.’ She and Gabby (Leach), their arms in the corners are money, and I knew she was going to throw her out, and it wasn’t going to be close.”

Alannah Leach also sent two no-doubters out of the park. The Lady Vols have struggled a bit at bat as a team of late but unleashed seven hits and three homers against the Gamecocks.

“Keeping it simple, honestly, is what I’ve been telling myself,” Leach said. “I fall back on my preparation. I know that I’m being prepared, and when I go up to that plate, I’ve just got to stay loose and trust it.”

Game two is set for 6 p.m. today, Friday, April 3, at Lee Stadium with a livestream on SEC Network+. The final game of the series will be Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

BASKETBALL

The exits continue for the Lady Vols with freshmen twins Mia Pauldo and Mya Pauldo and redshirt junior Talaysia Cooper announcing their intention to enter the transfer portal, which officially opens April 6 for two weeks.

Underclassmen must enter the portal in that timeframe to be eligible to play immediately in 2026-27. The visits to schools don’t have to take place in two weeks, so decisions could come later in April or May or even over the summer. Graduate transfers are immediately eligible and can make decisions after the season ends. That is the case for Alyssa Latham, who already has announced that she will transfer to Virginia Tech after two seasons at Tennessee.

It should be noted that an exodus was expected after a 16-14 season that deviated 180 degrees from coach Kim Caldwell’s first successful season at Tennessee in 2024-25. Caldwell has already hired one new assistant coach to replace Gabe Lazo in Brian Ferrara from Florida State, and she will need to hire another one to replace Roman Tubner.

Of the eight players eligible to return in 2026-27, seven will depart Tennessee. The lone player left on the roster is freshman Jaida Civil, who hasn’t made any announcements about her status. For Tennessee, no news is good news right now.