KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In a tightly contested showdown between top-five teams, No. 5 Tennessee fell 1-0 to No. 2 Texas A&M on Thursday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
 
The game lived up to its billing as a pitcher’s duel, with Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens and Texas A&M’s Emiley Kennedy each recording 10 strikeouts.
 
Offense was hard to come by on both sides until a two-out error in the top of the seventh extended the inning for the Aggies (42-8, 15-6 SEC). The miscue proved costly as a two-out double in the next at-bat drove in the game’s only run.
 
Tennessee (39-12, 14-8) had opportunities throughout, putting the leadoff runner on in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t capitalize. The Lady Vols drew eight walks on the night but managed just one hit—a fourth-inning single by freshman Saviya Morgan.
 
Senior McKenna Gibson led the team with three walks.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Pickens (20-7) turned in another stellar performance, tossing a complete game while allowing six hits, three walks and one unearned run. The junior right-hander lowered her season ERA to 0.97 and notched her 18th complete game of the year—a career high. With 220 strikeouts, she is now just six away from setting a new single-season personal best.
 
CHECK THE STATS
With Morgan’s fourth-inning single, she extended her hit streak to seven games.
 
DUE UP
Tennessee and Texas A&M resume the series Friday at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.