The Lady Vols of Tennessee pulled off a convincing series sweep over Auburn this weekend, making it their first SEC series sweep of the season. In yesterday's face-off at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, the score was 4-1 in favor of the No. 4 ranked team. The Lady Vols now boast an impressive 37-9 overall record and stand at 12-6 in SEC play, as reported by WBIR.
Staring down at a 1.5 game distance from the top-of-the-table Texas A&M, Tennessee's weekend performance has only helped solidify their position within the SEC's upper echelon. Having run riot in the last 23 SEC series with 21 wins, it's clear that the Lady Vols are no strangers to dominating the field, a fact highlighted by UT Sports, which detailed their record of 53 wins and 16 losses, nine of which were series sweeps.
According to a UT Daily Beacon write-up, the game was initially tight with neither team scoring until the second inning, when Gabby Leach capitalized on a wild pitch to give the Lady Vols their first run. The offensive action burst open in the fifth inning, with McKenna Gibson and Laura Mealer driving in three runs between them to extend the lead to 4-0.
On the pitching end, Sage Mardjetko showcased her talents as a sophomore, securing her 10th win with six innings of controlled play, allowing a solitary run on three hits and also knocking out five batters. Closing out the match, Junior Karlyn Pickens came in for the seventh, shutting down Auburn's hopes of a comeback, a feat otherwise undisclosed, according to UT Sports.
With this momentum, the Lady Vols will look to extend their five-game winning streak as they host No. 20 Clemson on Tuesday. The matchup is a sequel to last season's nine-inning thriller where Tennessee eked out a 2-1 victory. Fans can catch the action at 6 p.m. on ESPNU, as reported by UT Daily Beacon.
