The second-ranked OU softball team suffered its first series loss as a member of the SEC with a 5-3 loss to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at Love’s Field. OU got to Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens (13-4) in the third inning,

OU softball has faced plenty of elite pitchers in recent years, but Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens poses a unique challenge to Sooners' hitters.

Left-hander Kierston Deal starred in the circle for the Sooners, containing the Volunteer offense to bounce-back from Friday's defeat in extra innings.

Pickens has been a dominating pitcher for Tennessee during her career, picking up SEC Pitcher of the Year last season and continuing that impressive run into her junior campaign. Now, the right-handed hurler added an incredible stat to the resume,

Tennessee Lady Volunteers star Karlyn Pickens records the fastest softball pitch thrown in College Softball history.

Deal allowed a solo home run off Taylor Pannell in the fourth to give the Volunteers their first run of the game but she wasn't shaken, limiting Tennessee to zero runs for the rest of the game. She struck out Nugent and Laura Mealer and forced Ella Dodge to pop out to end the contest in the seventh.

A Tennessee softball star pitched her way into the NCAA record books. Lady Volunteers pitcher Karlyn Pickens took the mound on Monday, and proceeded to throw the fastest pitch in collegiate ...

Hitting is already hard enough in NCAA softball, which saw elite pitcher after elite pitcher dominate the tournament last spring. At 78.2 mph, it's almost impossible. That's the number Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens hit on the radar gun during a game against Arkansas on Monday,