Tennessee Softball Drops First SEC Series of the Season

No. 1 Lady Vols lose series against No. 8 Florida Gators

Mar. 22, 2026 at 6:07pm

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Tennessee softball has dropped its first SEC series of the season on the road against a top-10 opponent this weekend. Despite taking game one, No. 8 Florida rattled off consecutive wins at home in Gainesville to claim the best-of-three set.

Why it matters

This series loss opens the door for Tennessee to potentially drop from its No. 1 national ranking, as the Lady Vols now sit at 28-3 (6-3 SEC) on the season. The lack of offensive production was the primary culprit behind the losses.

The details

In game one, Tennessee won 2-1 thanks to RBI swings from Ella Dodge and Alannah Leach. Sage Mardjetko started the game and gave up one run in four innings, while Karlyn Pickens finished it out with three scoreless innings pitched. Game two was a 5-2 loss for the Lady Vols, with Erin Nuwer starting and going five innings without allowing an earned run, despite two crossing. Pickens came in for the final inning, allowing three earned runs. Game three was another low-scoring bout, seeing the Gators win 3-2. Pickens pitched 4.1 innings and allowed three runs, while Mardjetko threw the final 1.2 and didn't give up a run.

  • The series took place this past weekend (March 22-24, 2026).
  • Tennessee will host Tennessee Tech in a tune-up game on Tuesday, March 26, 2026 at 6 p.m. ET.
  • Ole Miss will come to town for another three-game set from Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31, 2026.

The players

Ella Dodge

Tennessee softball player who had an RBI in the game one win.

Alannah Leach

Tennessee softball player who had an RBI in the game one win.

Sage Mardjetko

Tennessee softball pitcher who started game one and game three.

Karlyn Pickens

Tennessee softball pitcher who finished game one and pitched in games two and three.

Erin Nuwer

Tennessee softball pitcher who started game two.

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What’s next

Tennessee will host Tennessee Tech in a tune-up game on Tuesday, March 26, 2026 at 6 p.m. ET, before welcoming Ole Miss for another three-game SEC series from Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31, 2026.

The takeaway

This series loss against a top-10 opponent opens the door for Tennessee to potentially drop from its No. 1 national ranking, as the Lady Vols' offensive struggles proved to be the primary factor in the defeats. The team will look to get back on track with a tune-up game against Tennessee Tech before hosting Ole Miss in another key SEC series.