SEC Softball Weekend Preview, Vol. 2!

Greetings and good tidings! Weekend 2 of the softball season is in full swing!

Before we get there let’s recap Thursday!

Tennessee 11, Notre Dame 3

The Vols opened the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational with a victory over Notre Dame but the big story was Tennessee pitcher Ashley Rogers. Rogers left after two innings of work and went to a local hospital for a “medical issue” and will have to be cleared to return to play. She is likely out for the rest of this tournament.

Kiki Milloy and Ivy Davis both homered for the Vols.

FSU 9, Tennessee 3

Tennessee’s second game of the day didn’t go as well as their first, as FSU scored seven runs in the first four innings to propel them past the Vols. Bailey McCachren took the loss for Tennessee, lasting 4.1 innings and giving up four hits, four runs (two earned), three walks, and two strikeouts.

Auburn 7, Texas Tech 1

The 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers whooped Texas Tech in their first matchup in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. Despite falling down 1-0 early on in the second inning, the Tigers raced away with seven unanswered runs. They plated two in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Denver Bryant’s RBI single and a throwing error that led to Jessie Blaine racing across the plate. Blaine would homer later in the fourth inning, a solo shot to left field, her first of the season. Nelia Peralta singled in a run in the fifth inning, which set the stage for Bri Ellis. The freshman infielder struck big with a three-run bomb that put the game out of reach.

After having a loud outing to open the year, Shelby Lowe was quietly effective. The southpaw struck out three batters and allowed one run on two hits in five innings of work. Maddie Penta shut the door down with two innings of shutout ball while allowing just one hit. Penta also added three strikeouts to her line to already give her 30 on the season.

Arkansas-Wichita State was postponed.

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There’s also a myriad of things that have gone on already this Friday going into Saturday!

Let’s look them over:

• 17th-ranked Mizzou defeated South Alabama and UNC, sweeping their Friday doubleheader
• Ole Miss also swept their doubleheader, defeating Nicholls, 10-2, and Eastern Kentucky, 2-1.
• 25th-ranked Auburn scored a win over Wisconsin, 9-3, and are currently up on 9th-ranked Texas, 6-2.
• South Carolina came away with a sweep too, defeating Marshall, 7-5, and Fordham, 8-3.
• Kentucky put up a ridiculous TWENTY-THREE runs on UCSB and then beat Loyola Marymount, 7-6. But seriously, they won 23-0! It was head coach Rachel Lawson’s 500th career game at Kentucky and, in addition to all that, Stephanie Schoonover made history. Schoonover became the first Wildcat hurler in program history to throw a no-hitter! The sophomore tossed five no-hit innings with seven strikeouts for a very strong and historic showing!
• Tennessee continues to go through a bit of a conundrum. With ace pitcher Ashley Rogers missing action right now due to health issues, the Vols fell victim to the 5th-ranked Washington Huskies. The Huskies beat the Vols up, 11-0, and Tennessee also lost their second game of the day too. The Volunteers lost 4-3 to 12th-ranked Clemson, as they’ve gone 1-3 in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational so far.
• 2nd-ranked Alabama flexed their muscles, earning a sweep of Evansville and 8th-ranked Virginia Tech.
• Texas A&M earned a 9-1 win over Kansas and a 4-1 win over Missouri State.
• 18th-ranked Georgia defeated Delaware, 10-3, but fell 6-1 to Boston U in the nightcap.
• Mississippi State lost 4-3 to Southern Illinois but, as of writing, leads Central Arkansas 9-3.
• LSU had a successful first game, as the Tigers beat 7th-ranked Oklahoma State, 10-2. The trouble is they are losing 9-2 to Washington at the moment.
• 10th-ranked Arkansas pasted Illinois, 6-3, in their only game of the day.
• 4th-ranked Florida, in their only game of the day, muscled a 9-3 win over 14th-ranked Duke.

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Here are a few things to watch for this weekend!

• On Saturday morning, Auburn plays 3rd-ranked UCLA. And what’s more: You can watch the game on TV! It will be on ESPNU at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT.
• Tennessee hopes to get back on track. They face 24th-ranked UCF in their only game of the day.
• A Top 10 matchup is going on between 8th-ranked Virginia Tech and 2nd-ranked Alabama! But... it’s only available through SEC Network+.
• On ESPN+, 22nd-ranked LSU will lock horns with 16th-ranked Michigan.
• 19th-ranked Kentucky will get a crack at 11th-ranked Arizona in the final game of the day.