Jordy Bahl vs. Karlyn Pickens.
Those were the headliners on this pre-game poster. Both 1st Team All-Americans, Bahl twice. Both conference pitchers of the year, Bahl twice in the Big 12 and Pickens last season in the SEC. Bahl, a WCWS MVP in 2023 and coming off a season lost to a knee injury.
Through four innings, all was going as planned. Tennessee led 1-0 on three hits total - one questionable - between the two teams. Pickens had 8 strikeouts, Bahl 6.
In an intersting twist, Pickens had 4 of those in second inning when Bella Bacon swung and missed for strike three but the ball skittered away allowing her to reach first and giving Pickens a fourth batter to strike out in the inning.