CLEARWATER, Fla. – The sixth-ranked Lady Vols capped their opening weekend with an 8-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
Tennessee played six games in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, finishing with a 5-1 record to kick off the 2025 campaign. Dominating both in the circle and at the plate, the Lady Vols outscored their opponents 51-14, hitting .364 as a team.
The Lady Vol pitching staff tossed three complete games, struck out 48 batters, and held opponents to a .128 batting average.
Redshirt sophomore Taylor Pannell was named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team after posting a 6-for-17 (.353) performance at the plate. She contributed four runs, one double, two home runs and nine RBIs.
On Sunday, Sophia Nugent set the tone with a leadoff home run to begin the second inning, marking her second long ball of the weekend. Pannell continued the offensive onslaught with a two-out grand slam, extending UT’s lead to 5-0 after two innings.
Tennessee capitalized on a Pittsburgh error to add a sixth run in the third inning.
The Panthers responded with one run in the fourth and two in the fifth, cutting the Lady Vols’ lead in half heading into the late innings.
Kinsey Fiedler provided some insurance with a two-RBI single to center in the sixth, helping Tennessee seal the win.
Sophomore Sage Mardjetko got the start in the circle, throwing 5.1 innings to earn her second victory of the season. The Lemont, Illinois, native allowed one run on two hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.
Mardjetko was briefly lifted to start the fifth inning, as junior Charli Orsini came on in relief. Orsini faced four batters, retiring two, before Mardjetko reentered the game. Orsini allowed two unearned runs and walked two.
Karlyn Pickens closed out the game in the seventh, recording the final three outs of the weekend.
DUE UP
Tennessee will split its weekend between Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Beaumont, Texas, Feb. 14-16. The Lady Vols will face McNeese State in a doubleheader on Valentine’s Day in Lake Charles before taking on Tulsa, Lamar, and Nicholls in Beaumont over the following two days.
