Georgia pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson went to deliver the pitch and tripped over her own foot. Freshman CJ McClain was on third base when the trip happened. Freshman Scarlet McSwain started jumping up and down waving McClain home. The home plate umpire signaled an illegal pitch and McClain walked home for the game’s only run.
Both benches cleared as Tennessee celebrated and Georgia coach Lou Harris-Champer went to the umpires for an explanation.
As Wilkinson hadn’t released the ball as she fell, it was ruled an illegal pitch. No one in the stands and no one on the field had ever seen an ending quite like it.
“Never, never,” co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. “I’ve been coaching a lot of years and I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Lost in all the chaos of the ending is the fact that Tennessee completed the three-game sweep of No. 7 ranked Georgia with a 1-0 victory. The first two games of the series involved multiple runs, with Tennessee winning the first game 4-3 and the second 6-2, but the final match only saw one run get across the plate.
Tennessee starter Cheyanne Tarango went 4.1 innings and only gave up one hit. She struck out one batter and walked two. Her no-hit bid was broken up in the top of the fifth inning by Georgia first baseman Kaylee Puailoa. Tarango was replaced by junior Rainey Gaffin who went 3.2 innings pitched and struck out six batters. Gaffin earned her fourth win of the season.
“I was definitely feeling really good,” Gaffin said. “I was seeing the ball and we were working really hard before. I just wanted to have a good day today.”
It was a pitcher’s duel that saw both teams use two pitchers.
“They’re getting better, they’re getting better every outing,” Weekly said. “Just remember, Tarango just threw about a week and a half ago. She was injured the first 20 plus games of the season. I thought she threw really well because I think, and I think the rest of the country and conference thinks, Georgia is a good team. Georgia is a very strong team.”
Tennessee had several chances to win the game without going to extra innings, but due to Georgia starting pitcher Brittany Gray getting outs when she needed them or Tennessee having a miscue in base running, the game went into extra innings.
Gray went 7.2 innings and gave up eight hits, two walks, and struck out three. Gray was replaced by Wilkinson. Wilkinson batted with McSwain, who fouled off several pitches, had two strikes on McSwain and two outs in the inning before her trip that ended the game.
Tennessee came into the weekend 3-3 in the SEC and is now 6-3 after sweeping Georgia.
“I think every coach in this conference will tell you every win you get during this season puts you in better shape,” Weekly said. “I saw a commercial for the SEC where the Mississippi State coach said, ‘If you play eight series in the SEC, it’s like playing in eight super regionals,’ and I really feel the same way.”
Tennessee will now travel to Auburn to take on the No. 8 ranked Tigers. It will be a three-game series and starts April 4.
