All recaps from UTSports.com
Game 1: Nebraska
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Despite a strong 11-strikeout performance by junior pitcher
Karlyn Pickens, the sixth-ranked Lady Vols fell to No. 19 Nebraska, 7-1, in Thursday's season opener at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida.
Tennessee (0-1) managed five hits off Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl and scored the game's opening run in the bottom of the fourth. With freshman
Zoie Shuler pinch-running on second, senior
Sophia Nugent hit a double to center field, scoring Shuler for her first career run as a Lady Vol.
Up 1-0 after four innings, the Lady Vols recorded two quick outs in the top of the fifth before a single, followed by an error, extended the frame. With runners on the corners, Tennessee suffered another error as an errant throw sailed into right field, allowing three unearned Nebraska runs to score.
A two-run home run extended the Huskers' lead before Pickens struck out the final batter of the fifth inning.
Pickens faced one batter in the sixth before being relieved by sophomore pitcher
Sage Mardjetko, making her Tennessee debut. Pickens finished the game allowing five runs—all unearned—on five hits, with 11 strikeouts over five innings of work.
Mardjetko completed the outing, allowing two runs on one hit, with two strikeouts and one walk.
Nebraska's (1-0) Bahl tossed a complete game, surrendering one run on five hits while striking out seven.
Game 2: Bethune-Cookman
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Freshman pitcher
Erin Nuwer and sophomore pitcher
Sage Mardjetko delivered dominant performances in their first starts as Lady Vols Friday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, leading Tennessee to a pair of run-rule victories over Bethune-Cookman and Iowa.
Nuwer, making her first career start, fired a five-inning no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in a 10-0 win. The East Aurora, New York, native joined legendary pitcher Monica Abbott as the only Lady Vols to throw a no-hitter in their Tennessee debut. The right-hander struck out eight and allowed only one walk, coming in the third inning. Her no-hitter marked the 59th in Tennessee history.
Mardjetko, in her first start as a Lady Vol, was equally impressive in game two against Iowa. After giving up an early run in the second inning, she escaped a bases-loaded jam and went on to dominate the Hawkeyes lineup. A Lemont, Illinois, native, Mardjetko surrendered just two hits, walked one, and recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Game 3: Iowa
Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with an RBI single. The Hawkeyes loaded the bases with one out in the frame, but Mardjetko struck out back-to-back batters to escape the jam.
In the third inning,
McKenna Gibson tied the game with an RBI single to center, scoring
Bella Faw. Tennessee added two runs in the fourth for a 3-1 lead before exploding for seven runs in the fifth inning.
Sophia Nugent hit a two-run home run, followed by
Kinsey Fiedler's two-run RBI single. Gibson capped the scoring with a three-run home run, her third hit of the game, securing the run-rule victory.
Game 4: Notre Dame
Tennessee jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior
McKenna Gibson continued her strong start with a two-RBI single, followed by a two-run home run from Pannell deep to left.
Notre Dame responded with two runs in the third, aided by two errors that extended the inning. The Irish threatened to add more, but freshman pitcher
Peyton Tanner entered in relief and shut them down.
UT answered with four runs in the bottom of the third, using small ball to extend its lead to six runs. After Morgan's RBI single added another run in the fourth, senior
Sophia Nugent ended the game with a bases-loaded RBI single to left, securing the run-rule victory.
Freshman
Erin Nuwer started in the circle, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing two runs—none earned—on one hit with two strikeouts. Tanner pitched 2.2 innings in relief, giving up just one hit and recording her first career strikeout in the fifth. She earned her first career win.
Game 5: Northwestern
After a combined three runs in the first inning—two for Tennessee and one for Northwestern—the Lady Vols took control with a four-run second inning. Redshirt freshman
Ella Dodge sparked the onslaught in with her first career home run, a two-run shot to center.
Dodge added another two-run homer in the third, as Tennessee extended its lead with three more runs.
The Lady Vols tacked on three additional runs in the fifth, completing their fourth consecutive run-rule victory.
Karlyn Pickens tossed a five-inning complete game, limiting Northwestern to one run on three hits. She walked three batters and struck out seven, earning her first win of the year.
Game 6: Pittsburgh
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.
