Mississippi State Stuns No. 1 Tennessee in Pitcher's Duel
STARKVILLE, Miss. – The top-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols’ undefeated season came to an end Saturday, as they fell 1-0 to the No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nusz Park. A walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by Mississippi State's Taylor Troutman was the decisive blow in a classic pitcher's duel, handing Tennessee its first loss after a program-best 26-0 start to the season.
The game was a battle of attrition from the circle. Tennessee's Maddi Rutan was stellar, throwing 4.2 innings of no-hit softball to start the game. The junior recorded four strikeouts and issued only one walk in her first SEC start of the season. Erin Nuwer took over in relief and suffered the loss, despite allowing only three hits and striking out two. For Mississippi State, transfer pitcher Peja Goold was masterful, tossing a complete-game shutout. Goold allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out ten batters to earn her 11th victory of the season.
Both offenses were stifled for the majority of the contest, with a combined no-hitter carried into the sixth inning. Tennessee's Sophia Knight broke up Goold's no-hit bid with a single, and Ella Dodge later added another single for the Lady Vols. However, Tennessee was unable to capitalize, leaving runners stranded. The series finale between the two SEC powerhouses is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, at 1 p.m. ET, in what is sure to be a highly anticipated rubber match.
QUICK HITS
No. 9 Texas Topples No. 1 Georgia Women's Tennis: The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs women's tennis team suffered its third loss of the season, falling 4-1 on the road to No. 9 Texas. The Longhorns have now won three straight matchups against the Bulldogs. Georgia's lone point came from a straight-sets victory by Emma Dong on the singles court. Despite the loss, Georgia still maintains a 14-6 all-time series lead over Texas.
No. 5 Texas A&M Blanks No. 22 South Carolina: The No. 5 Texas A&M women's tennis team secured a decisive 4-0 victory over No. 22 South Carolina in Bryan-College Station. The Aggies claimed the doubles point and followed up with three straight-set singles victories to clinch the match.
McCloyen Named Second Team All-American: Mississippi State thrower Roury McCloyen has earned Second Team All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The junior from Greenville, Mississippi, has had a record-breaking season for the Bulldogs, setting new program bests in both the shot put and the weight throw.
SEC Teams Set for Old Barnwell Derby Match Play: The Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State women's golf teams are in Aiken, South Carolina, to compete in the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play. Due to anticipated inclement weather, the tournament will now begin a day early on Sunday. Mississippi State is set to face off against No. 17 Ole Miss in the opening round.
PORTAL WATCH
There has been no significant transfer portal activity to report from within the Southeastern Conference in the last 12 hours.
RECRUITING BUZZ
There have been no new football or basketball commitments to SEC programs in the past 12 hours. The biggest recruiting news of the day came from outside the conference, as USC landed a commitment from five-star safety Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, the top-ranked prospect in California for the 2027 class.
GAMES TO WATCH
There are no SEC games scheduled for today, Saturday, March 14, 2026. Conference play will resume across various sports in the coming days.