COLUMBIA − It's not often Tennessee softball is under pressure entering a game.
But the expectations awaiting as the No. 1 Lady Vols exited the bus at Ridley Sports Complex for the annual Midstate Classic were palpable.
A sold-out crowd of roughly 3,000 packed around the stadium field as Tennessee won 9-1 over Austin Peay in a game run-ruled in six innings on March 10. Sophomore Makenzie Butt led the Lady Vols, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, while Ella Dodge was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
The Lady Vols are 24-0, tying the program's best ever start to a season set in 2006.
"I don't think that being (ranked) No. 1 affected us at all tonight. But I can tell you that every time we come here, it's a different type of pressure you have to deal with," Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said. "The pressure comes from 3,000-plus fans here that you really want to make happy, because you know the vast majority are in orange."
Tennessee has established a softball home away from home in Columbia, the state's only city outside of Knoxville to host the Lady Vols annually. Scores of budding softball players surrounded the field draped in Tennessee orange and Summitt blue, the majority of which flooded to the dugout afterwards, smiles wide as they scored autographs from the players.
"I know that means a lot to our players, that they come out to support them, and it means a lot to us to do well for them," Weekly said. "And as an athlete, sometimes it's a challenge to stay focused on the task at hand with everything going on around you here and how badly you want to get it done. But I think we did a good job of navigating that tonight."
Tennessee's continued presence in the Midstate has not only satiated a previously underserved group of fans, but also further sowed roots when it comes to recruiting.
The Lady Vols roster features two Middle Tennessee products in freshman Kailey Plumlee, a Gordonsville graduate, and sophomore Saviya Morgan of Columbia Central, who has fond memories of her own attending the Midstate Classic.
This was Morgan's second consecutive season returning to her hometown for the Midstate Classic, but no less surreal were the countless jersey's featuring her name and number across the back. She hopes through her success with the Lady Vols, and the team's continued trips to Maury County, that more homegrown products find their way for future rosters.
"It gives those girls hope that they can make it big on the big stage coming from Columbia or Culleoka or Spring Hill," said Jon McDonald, Morgan's former coach at Columbia Central. "So it's big for them to be able to see somebody local like that on the field that they kind of grew up watching."
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports and more for The Daily Herald. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Tennessee defeats Austin Peay in Midstate Classic, improves to 24-0