GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 1 Tennessee dropped its second game of the season Saturday, falling 5-2 to No. 5 Florida at Katie Seashole Stadium.
Tennessee (28-2, 6-2 SEC) started Erin Nuwer in the circle. She was relieved by Karlyn Pickens in the second inning before returning in the third. Nuwer finished the game, tossing five innings.
She allowed two unearned runs, walked three and struck out one.
Pickens (7-1) took the loss, surrendering three runs on three hits in one inning of work. The defeat marked her first of the season.
Florida (30-2, 7-1 SEC) received strong outings from Katelynn Oxley and Olivia Miller. Oxley started and threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Miller earned the win to improve to 4-0, tossing the final 4 1/3 innings. She held Tennessee scoreless on two hits with two strikeouts.
After escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first, freshman Elsa Morrison put the Lady Vols on the board with a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center field. The homer was her third of the season.
Florida tied the game in the second, scoring two runs on a pair of walks, a passed ball and an error.
The Gators took the lead in the third with back-to-back home runs. Madison Walker broke the tie with a two-run shot to center, and Cassidy McLellan followed with a solo home run to right to make it 5-2.
That proved to be enough, as Miller kept Tennessee’s offense in check and forced a series-deciding Game 3 on Sunday.
DUE UP
Tennessee and Florida wrap up the three-game series on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon ET on ESPN2.
