Tennessee eliminated Georgia Tech with a 7-0 victory Saturday in the NCAA softball regional in Knoxville to advance to today’s championship.
The Lady Vols, who lost their early game Saturday 6-1 to Oklahoma State, will meet the Cowgirls again in today’s final. Oklahoma State needs only one victory today to win the regional.
Tennessee took the lead early against Tech with four runs in the first inning. Jessica Spigner hit a sacrifice fly to score Raven Chavanne, then Lauren Gibson hit a three-run home run.
The Lady Vols scored two more runs in the third inning, both on another Gibson home run, and one in the fourth. Gibson finished with six RBIs.
Georgia Tech (45-12) managed only two hits in the loss, a single by Kate Kuzma in the bottom of the fifth and a single by Kristine Priebe in the bottom of the seventh.
Tennessee pitcher Ivy Renfroe allowed two hits and had 10 strikeouts and one walk in the complete-game shutout. Renfroe is 19-4 on the season with a 1.88 ERA.
Lindsey Anderson, who took the win in the early game, left the late game after two innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits and two walks. She was relieved by Hope Rush, who finished the game and gave up one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
Oklahoma State 6, Tennessee 1: The Cowgirls upset Tennessee to advance to the regional final.
OSU’s Alysia Hamilton drove in three runs with a home run, a double and a single to lead the Cowgirls into today’s finals.
Tennessee played an elimination game Saturday night against Georgia Tech, which defeated Liberty earlier Saturday.
Georgia Tech 4, Liberty 3: Kristine Priebe hit her 14th home run of the season and the Yellow Jackets held off a late rally to eliminate the Flames.
Liberty (30-30) scored a run in the top of the seventh, but one was all it could get against reliever Lindsey Anderson, who earned the win.
Tech advanced to Saturday’s late game despite committing two errors and getting outhit 7-6 by Liberty.
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