Women’s College World Series starts off great for the Lady Vols
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series brought a game-two battle between Tennessee and Texas inside Devon Park. The Lady Vols took this one 6-3 to advance to Saturday’s winner’s bracket game with Texas Tech.
The Lady Vols jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning with an Elsa Morrison three-run blast. Tennessee never trailed in this game.
Teagan Kavan took the circle for the Longhorns and retired the side in five pitches to open the game. Tennessee tried an aggressive approach, which saw both Ella Dodge and Emma Clarke retired on one pitch each.
Sage Mardjetko retired the Longhorns in order to open her day. She fell behind 2-0 to Katie Stewart, but battled back with two consecutive strikes before a ground out. The first inning saw 14 total pitches combined between the two sides.
Kavan lost Alannah Leach on a 2-2 count via hit-by-pitch to begin the second inning. Mackenzie Butt worked a walk to put two on for the Lady Vols. That set up Morrison for a three-run home run to center to put the Lady Vols up 3-0.
Mardjetko kept things clean, with only a walk issued in the bottom of the second. Hannah Wells went down swinging on a 1-2 pitch for Mardjetko’s first strikeout of the game.
With one out in the top of the third, Ella Dodge hit a double down the left field line and just reached safely with a nice swim move to avoid the tag. That was her 13th double of the season.
Dodge then dodged another tag at third on an Emma Clarke single.
She was initially called out, but review showed differently, but on an Al. Leach single, she was caught between third and home. Kavan found her way out of the inning without damage with a strikeout of Butt.
Mardjetko and the Lady Vols rolled on through the third. After a Jaycie Nichols one-out single, Butt engineered an unassisted double play on a Kayden Henry lineout to first. The Lady Vols’ defense continues to be strong and reliable.
Texas had issues timing up Mardjetko for much meaningful contact, and recorded just one hit through the first four innings of play.
Kavan (3.0 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 3 K, BB, 54 total pitches) turned the ball over to Citlaly Gutierrez to start the top of the fifth. Taelyn Holley greeted her with a leadoff single, then moved to second on a wild pitch.
Holley advanced to third on a groundout and scored on another wild pitch, making it 4-0 Tennessee. Texas and Gutierrez retired the side without further damage, but the control issues in that inning gave the Lady Vols what they needed.
Tennessee made the move to Karlyn Pickens to begin the bottom of the fifth, and the Longhorns answered the call with back-to-back singles from Wells and Ashton Maloney.
The Longhorns scored their first run of the game on a Victoria Hunter fielder’s choice that forced a throwing error from shortstop Bella Faw. Pickens escaped without any more damage and went into the sixth with a 4-1 lead.
That was the Lady Vols’ first error committed since the opening regional game vs. Northern Kentucky.
The Lady Vols answered, and Morrison nailed a two-out double off the right-field wall. Then Zoie Shuler, who pinch-ran for Morrison, scored from second on an RBI single by Gabby Leach to make it 5-1 Tennessee in the sixth.
Pickens fanned Stewart to begin the bottom of the sixth. Stewart had a rough day and finished 0-for-3. Then, after a Reese Atwood two-out single, Leighann Goode cleared a two-run home run over the right-center field wall to put Texas within two, 5-3.
Pickens bounced back with a strikeout of Wells to end the inning. Then the Lady Vols answered. After Holley reached on a leadoff walk, Sophia Knight recorded her first hit of the day, putting two on with no outs. Both moved over on a Dodge sac bunt, and Holley scored on a Clarke sac fly, making it 6-3.
Pickens returned to the circle to shut the door on the Longhorns in the bottom of the seventh, and the Lady Vols advanced to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
