From career-record strikeouts to freshmen grand slams and no-hitter victories, here's some wild happenings from this weekend in college softball.
1. Karlyn Pickens ties career-record in strikeouts
The Tennessee pitching staff continues to prove why the Vols are sitting at the No. 1 spot in nation.
🪜 VOLS ON (ROCKY) TOP: Check out this week's Power 10 rankings
In their Sunday square off against App State, Karlyn Pickens hurled 15 strikeouts to match her career-record while fending off the Mountaineers and securing the 3-2 victory.
2. Northwestern State clinches victory without a hit
Here's one to check off the softball bingo card. Northwestern State defeated Missouri State 5-3 despite the Lady Demons earning no hits on Saturday.
Where'd the five runs come from? NSU was able to capitalize on a hit batter, five walks and a fielder's choice error that cleared the bags in the first inning. ;
3. Texas Tech boasts back-to-back no hitters
The Red Raiders had quite the weekend, earning five run-rule victories while outscoring their opponents 92-5 across six games.
🔴⚫️ WRECK 'EM: Check out why Texas Tech softball will be even better this year
Their bats were on fire, but what happened inside the circle for No. 2 Texas Tech was just as electric. Nijaree Canady earned the program's 12th-ever no-hitter and five hours later, Kaitlyn Terry secured the 13th. The two both tallied their second no-hitters of the season, making program history as the first Red Raiders ever to record multiple no-hitters in a single season.
4. Sydney McCray races to inside-the-park home run
Grand Canyon extended their blemish-free record to 22-0 after picking up six wins this weekend.
INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUNNNN 🤯💨
— GCU Softball (@GCU_Softball)
Sydney McCray almost leaves the park for a standard home run, but gets one another way, flying around the bases for the inside-the parker!!
4-0 Lopes.
In the Lopes’ victory over Eastern Illinois on Friday, Sydney McCray turned on the jets, circling the bases for an inside-the-park home run after her drive ricocheted off the center-field wall.
5. Elon softball and baseball post collab of the year
Anna Dew was flawless in the circle on Saturday, tossing a perfect game for the Phoenix in Elon's 8-0 win over Charleston Southern in Greensboro, N.C.
Meanwhile, just 20 minutes away, Elon's baseball team also hurled a no-hitter against Fairfield thanks to the combined efforts of Aidan Stieglitz, Mike Staiano and RJ Latkowski.
The twin gems marked the first time in the past three seasons that a Division I school’s softball and baseball programs each recorded a no-hitter on the same day.
6. Sooners post a 21-run frame against Alabama State
No. 5 Oklahoma put up a massive third inning against Alabama State behind a 29-6 win.
The Sooners' 21-run frame featured 24 batters and two grand slams, marking the second-most runs scored in an inning in NCAA DI softball history behind only College of Charleston's 29 against Savanah State on Feb. 11, 2004.
7. Alisa Sneed's first career home run is GRAND
No. 3 Texas earned a 12-2 win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday as a Longhorn freshman stepped up in a big way.
Rookie Alisa Sneed took the plate in commanding fashion in her seventh start of the season, blasting a grand slam to mark her first-career home run in the burnt orange.
