OKLAHOMA CITY – All it took was one swing of the bat for Elsa Morrison to change Tennessee’s season.
The freshman, batting sixth in the Lady Vols’ lineup, stepped up to the plate in a crucial moment. Tennessee had two runners on with no outs, a rare occasion against Texas ace Teagan Kavan.
Morrison took a moment to breathe, soaking in the biggest stage in college softball.
“Everybody was talking about nerves, breathing and whatnot,” she said. “I had complete peace in the box knowing that the girls in the dugout would have my back no matter the outcome.”
Moments later, she sent Kavan’s 19th pitch of the WCWS 247 feet into the center field, breaking open a scoreless game en route to Tennessee’s 6-3 win over Texas.
It was her seventh collegiate home run — and it was no accident. The Lady Vols had planned well against Kavan after facing her last year, and the freshman executed perfectly.
“Everything we prepared for was that up-spin speed, trying to win the belt today,” Morrison said. “We had talked about being aggressive early in the count because we knew she would want to try and get up on us early.”
That kind of poise on a stage this big doesn’t happen overnight, especially as a freshman competing in Oklahoma City. She had rough patches this season, but head coach Karen Weekly believes that’s all you need to read a person.
“It’s really (shows) her maturity,” she said. “The season hasn’t been easy for her. It’s not like she’s batted .400 all year. You can tell everything about somebody when they’re struggling. When you watch her continue to work, there’s no drama with her. She’s just really analytical about things.”
Her analytical approach and consistency showed up as the season continued for the Lady Vols. After her three-run shot, she nearly left the yard again. The Knoxville, Tennessee native punished a ball on a 0-0 count in her third at-bat, but this time it bounced off the top of the ball in right center field for a double.
The double added insurance to Tennessee’s lead an at-bat later. Zoie Shuler, who pinch ran for Morrison, raced home after a single to extend the Lady Vols’ lead to four in the sixth inning.
“She used to take a lot of pitches early and get behind,” Weekly said. “She responded to the challenge. If they’re going to throw you something good early, you need to get on it, and you’re going to get results. Today, that’s what she did. She got a pitch right away. She drove it for us.”
For Morrison, the game was bigger than just the box score. Getting to go to bat for her hometown team with her teammate behind her was bigger than just the moment.
“It means the world getting to have an at-bat with the girls that I love and go to war with every single day,” she said.
Weekly put it simply when talking about Morrison’s maturity throughout the season.
“She doesn’t play like a freshman,” the head coach said. “She has a full season under her belt. Her maturity has always been ahead of her age group.”
With the win, the Lady Vols advance to the winner’s bracket game against Texas Tech on Saturday, May 30. They’ll play former third baseman Taylor Pannell, who spent three years at Tennessee.
