As the NCAA Tournament heats up, Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly is laser-focused on a simple truth: postseason games aren't won—they're lost. And in her eyes, the team that blinks first usually pays the price.

Think about it. A walk here, an error there, and suddenly a season can slip away. That's especially true in the high-pressure world of the NCAA Tournament, where scoring often comes at a premium and the margin for error shrinks to almost nothing. "Everybody wants to talk about hitting and pitching," Weekly said on May 13, "but if you can play clean defense and get an out every time the ball is put in play, you've got a great chance to win."

For the Lady Vols, this philosophy hits close to home. Many of Tennessee's losses this season have come courtesy of unearned runs—those costly free passes and defensive miscues that can turn a tight game into a missed opportunity. In the postseason, Weekly notes, winning teams find a way to "put up a crooked number" in an inning or two. Maybe three, if you're lucky. The rest is about not beating yourself.

That's why Tennessee (42-10) has put a major emphasis on defense heading into its 21st consecutive NCAA regional hosted in Knoxville. As the No. 7 overall seed, the Lady Vols open play on May 15 against Northern Kentucky (26-23) at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (5:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Also in the double-elimination bracket are No. 26 Virginia (38-13) and Indiana (42-14), who face off later that evening (8 p.m., ESPN2).

Weekly knows Northern Kentucky won't be an easy out. "They steal a lot of bases. They're just really pesky in their ability to get on base," she said. "Not a big power team, but when you watch them on film, a lot of balls just fall in, and then when they get on bases, they can make some things happen." That scrappy style, combined with a change of speed from NKU's pitching, will test a Tennessee offense that has been inconsistent down the stretch.

For the Lady Vols, the path forward is clear: when two statistically even teams meet, the winner is often the one that makes the fewest mistakes. "When you look at teams that look pretty even," Weekly added, "to me, that's what it comes down to—who's going to play clean softball."

In a tournament where every pitch matters, Tennessee is betting that a sharp defense and a steady glove will be the difference between a long postseason run and an early exit.