The Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Tennessee Volunteers played a classic in a winner’s bracket game of the Women’s College World Series on Saturday.
The game went nine innings and the two teams combined for five hits. But the Volunteers walked it off in the ninth, 2-1.
Tennessee won the game with a leadoff home run from Emma Clarke, breaking a 1-1 tie and staying on a path toward the WCWS championship series. Texas Tech cannot lose another game.
Tech’s Kaitlyn Terry and NiJaree Canady combined for eight innings in the circle, with each giving up a home run that gave Tennessee the lead. They combined to strike out seven and didn’t walk anyone.
Here are three thoughts on the game.
One Swing, One Run
In softball, some games become slugfests, especially in Oklahoma City. Sometimes, it’s just one swing that can get the job done, though Tennessee ultimately lost the lead.
For Tennessee, that one swing came in the fifth inning as Taelyn Holley, batting in the No. 9 spot in the order, belted a home run off Canady.
Holley is a freshman. It was her sixth career home run, but her second of the WCWS. She hit one off Texas in the first game of the tournament. She’s gotten hot at the right time for Tennessee and if the Red Raiders run into the Volunteers again, they’ll need to pitch her more effectively.
Red Raiders Tie but Miss Their Shot
Texas Tech pulled out every stop down 1-0 in the seventh inning. As the visiting team, that was the Red Raiders’ last shot. The play-by-play of the frame fills an entire computer screen. Texas Tech’s Tay Pannell singled, Kaitlyn Terry walked and then Tennessee decided to intentionally walk Lauren Allred to load the bases with no one out.
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens danced around the danger as much as she could. She managed to strike out Tech’s Lag Quiroga. She got Dee Spearman to fly out and Pannell hustled home, only to be called out. The Red Raiders challenged and the call was overturned. Game tied. Then Tennessee challenged that one of the runners left base too early. Call not overturned. Game remained tied.
But that big hit to open the inning eluded the Red Raiders. After Tennessee brought in Sage Mardjetko to relieve Pickens, she walked Mia Williams to load the bases again and then got Mihyia Davis to fly out. But that flyout? Oh so close to a Red Raider lead.
That was Tech’s last, best shot, to win. It was a huge missed opportunity for the Red Raiders.
The Road Ahead
The road now gets harder for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders get UCLA on Sunday, a game set for 7 p.m. central. The Red Raiders have to win that game or they’re heading back to Lubbock far sooner than they wanted. The Bruins have already lost a game, so it’s an elimination game for both.
A win in that game would advance Texas Tech to face the winner of the Nebraska-Alabama game played on Saturday. That would be a contest to advance to the WCWS best-of-three championship series. But, to do it, Texas Tech will have to beat that team twice since the tournament is double-elimination and Monday’s opponent will be undefeated.
Winning three games in two days can be done. But it also underscores just how important Saturday’s game was to both teams. No one wanted that road. Now, Tech must travel it.
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