OKLAHOMA CITY – In Tennessee’s 6-3 victory over Texas, its recipe for success worked to perfection on Thursday afternoon – hit some bombs and rely on great pitching.
With the win, No. 7 Tennessee (48-10, 16-8 SEC) will have an off-day on Friday before facing former Taylor Pannell and her Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
“It will be nice tomorrow to just kind of breathe,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “Tonight as well. Get a good plan together for what we’re going to do tomorrow, probably have a little workout and get ourselves ready for our next game on Saturday.
After being no-hit by Texas’ Teagan Kavan last year on the same stage, the Lady Vols attacked her early. Tennessee managed three hits and three runs on the No. 2 Longhorn’s (47-12, 16-8) ace through three innings, which quickly set the tone for the rest of the game.
Second inning catapults Tennessee
After going three up, three down in the first inning, the Lady Vols’ bats didn’t need much juice to make an impact.
Alannah Leach got the rally started after being hit in the leg by a pitch. Makenzie Butt joined her seven pitches later, walking on a full count to put two on with no outs for the Lady Vols.
It took Elsa Morrison exactly one pitch to change the game.
The freshman catcher punished Teagan Kavan’s 19th offering, sending her pitch over the center field wall and well over the left arm of the outstretched center fielder.
“We had talked about being aggressive early in the count because we knew she would want to try and get up on us early,” Morrison said.
The Knoxville, Tennessee, native’s seventh home run of the year went 247 feet, putting Tennessee in the driver’s seat early with a three-run lead with no outs.
Kavan settled back in after giving up her 21st deep shot of the year. She struck two of the next three batters out, limiting the damage to three as she escaped the inning.
“I had complete peace in the box knowing that the girls in the dugout would have my back no matter the outcome,” Morrison said.
A tale of two pitchers
Tennessee utilized both of its best two pitchers against the Longhorns, starting Sage Mardjetko and bringing Karlyn Pickens in for the fifth inning.
Mardjetko, making her first career start and second appearance in Oklahoma City, did what she needed to do to help the Lady Vols secure the win. After allowing three runs in two innings to the Florida Gators last year, she pitched four innings of shutout softball against the 18th-best scoring team in the nation.
She tossed four innings, allowing just one hit and two walks. The South Carolina transfer leaned heavily on her defense, recording just one strikeout in her first WCWS win and 15th of the year.
“It just goes to the confidence and preparation that I’ve had all season,” Mardjetko said. “All these teams we face, yes, they’re good, but they’re not going to do anything that’s crazy unheard of, nothing you’ve never seen before. Softball is softball. It just goes back to trusting yourself, the preparation you put in day in and day out.”
On the other hand, Pickens struggled against the Longhorns.
She immediately gave up two singles in the fifth, but Texas’s first score was unearned after a throwing error by Bella Faw let a runner turn third and cut the lead to 4-1.
The senior ace gave up a single, then a two-run shot in the sixth inning. It cut the lead to 5-3, giving the Longhorns one more chance for a rally in the seventh. She elicited three consecutive groundouts to end the game, securing Tennessee’s 6-3 win.
Pickens finished with three innings pitched, giving up four hits and three runs in the victory. She recorded just two strikeouts in the win.
Tennessee capitalized on important breaks
The Lady Vols simply capitalized where they needed to in the win.
The first instance happened in the third inning. After a first half where Ella Dodge miraculously avoided two tags, Butt made an impact defensively.
After Mardjetko allowed a single, the first baseman had a line drive sail directly into her glove. She easily beat the runner back to the bag, turning a solo double-play.
Another break happened in the fifth. Taelyn Holley singled between the pitcher’s legs and up the middle, giving the Lady Vols one on with no outs. She advanced to second on a wild pitch, then third after a groundout from Sophia Knight. She ran home standing up after another wild pitch, giving Tennessee a 4-0 lead.
The last instance was just as important.
After a double by Morrison, Gabby Leach hit a hard ball to the second baseman. She was unable to corral it and slipped, allowing Morrison to extend the lead to four with two outs.
Up next
The Lady Vols advanced to the winner’s bracket with the win, something they didn’t have the luxury of last year. They’ll play host to Texas Tech, which run-ruled Mississippi State 8-0 on Thursday.
“Just a super talented team,” Weekly said. “Again, a team that can go deep in pitching. Haven’t had to rely on one arm, just like we haven’t had to. A stacked lineup. Up and down all the way through, one through nine. Yeah, I mean, they’ve got everything you would want from a talent perspective.”
