OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Emma Clarke’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Tennessee to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Texas Tech in a winner’s bracket game on Saturday at the Women’s College World Series.
Clarke’s homer to deep center field, combined with some excellent defense and stellar pitching from the Lady Vols’ All-America pitchers, sent Tennessee to the national semifinals with a 2-0 record. No. 7 seed Tennessee (49-10) will play either Texas, Alabama or Nebraska on Monday with the chance to advance to the championship series.
Eleventh-seeded Texas Tech (58-8) will play UCLA on Sunday in an elimination game.
Tennessee starting pitcher Karlyn Pickens took a shutout and a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning. Taylor Pannell, a transfer from Tennessee, scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Desirae Spearman. Pannell was originally called out at home on the throw from center fielder Sophia Knight, but video replay showed that catcher Elsa Morrison missed the tag.
Sage Mardjetko (16-2) relieved and walked the first batter to load the bases. The inning ended on a diving catch by left fielder Alannah Leach.
In the fifth, Tennessee’s Taelyn Holley homered to left field on a one-strike pitch from NiJaree Canady for the game’s first run.
Tennessee’s Knight made the defensive play of the game in the sixth inning. After Mia Williams doubled with one out, Mihyia Davis singled up the middle and Knight threw out Williams at home with a perfect one-hop throw to Morrison.
Kaitlyn Terry (24-2) gave up Clarke’s home run.
Thirty-six of the 42 national champions at the WCWS started off 2-0.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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