Blazers Fight Hard With Top-Ranked Lady Vols

Friday, February 20

Birmingham, Ala.

7 P.M.

UAB

5-7

Tennessee

12-0

Tennessee

UAB

Blazers Fight Hard With Top-Ranked Lady Vols

2/20/2026 11:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Blazer Softball battled hard with the #1 Tennessee Lady Vols, going seven innings with Tennessee for the first time in four all-time matchups. Tennessee hit a pair of three-run home runs, taking a 6-0 lead on the Blazers. The core of the UAB lineup broke up Karlyn Pickens' no-hit bid in the seventh inning, extending a pair of lengthy on-base streaks in the process and scoring the first earned run that Pickens has allowed this season. The Blazers did all of it in front of a standing room only crowd of 1,264.

Pickens dominated the Blazer offense through the first half of the game, with just one UAB runner reaching on a Tennessee error. The All-American continued to shut down UAB with a pair of three-up-three-down innings in the fifth and sixth innings.

The Blazers finally broke through with an Abbi Perkins single to shallow left field, becoming the only Blazer to reach twice in the game. Ashlyn Shirah followed Perkins with a low line drive single down the right field line, to advance Perkins' pinch runner, Kaily Collett, to third base. Shirah's hit extended her on-base streak to 23 straight games.

Madeline Flammia put the ball in play when needed and beat out a double play ball to score Collett and score the Blazers' first run against Tennessee since Feb. 6, 2004.

Pickens finished the game with 11 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Her 11 punchouts are the most the Blazers have suffered in a game since Wichita State's Chloe Barber struck out 15 Blazers in 2024. Seven different Lady Vols recorded a hit, totaling eight as a team. Boise State standout transfer Sophia Knight had a game-high two hits. Ella Dodge reached base three times with a three-run blast in the third inning and a pair of walks. Makenzie Butt hit Tennessee's other home run, towering a homer to left field.

Notables

Shirah extended her on-base streak to 23 games.
Perkins extended her on-base streak to 16 games.
Perkins threw out two Lady Vols on the base paths, the first time a UAB catcher has done so since Sierra Frazier on April 30, 2022.
UAB was not run-ruled by Tennessee for the first time in four all-time meetings.
The Blazers scored against Tennessee for the first time since Feb. 6, 2004.
UAB's run was the first earned run allowed by Pickens this season.

The Run Down

T3 | Dodge homered to right field, scoring two runners in the process (0-3).
T7 | Butt added insurance for Tennessee with a towering home run deep to left field, the second three-run blast of the game (0-6).
B7 | Flammia beat out a potential game-ending double play, allowing Collett to score from third (1-6).

Stat Lines

Perkins: 1-for-2, BB, 2 CS
Shirah: 1-for-3

In the Circle

Olivia Cummings got the start against Tennessee, going three complete innings, giving up the three-run homer to Dodge with all three runs being earned. Cummings struck out one Lady Vol without walking any. However, three Lady Vols were hit by Cummings.
Cummings was tagged with her first lost of the season, now 4-1.
Davidson relieved Cummings in the fourth inning, pitching three strong shutout innings before Butt homered in the seventh. Davidson finished with the same four hit, three earned run stat line that Cummings did. Davidson also hit one Lady Vol.

Up Next

UAB plays two games at the Green and Gold Classic tomorrow, Feb. 21, taking on Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. and Missouri State at 4:30 p.m. All tournament info can be found here.