Tennessee softball outlasts Virginia, advances to Knoxville Regional title game
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Tennessee softball was the latest SEC program to punch its ticket to their Regional Final on Saturday. The Lady Vols outlasted a comeback attempt from Virginia and will now face one of Northern Kentucky or Indiana for the Knoxville Regional title on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
This one looked like it was going to be a rout at first. The Lady Vols shot right out of the gate, taking a 5-0 lead by the end of the first inning. Elsa Morrison drove in the first runs of the day with a 2-RBI double, followed by a bases loaded walk, an RBI single by Makenzie Butt and a ground out that drove in the final run of the frame from Bella Faw.
Virginia wasn’t ready to just lay down, however. The Cavaliers punched back with a 3-run home run in the 3rd inning off the bat of Macee Eaton, who broke her own Virginia record for single-season RBIs while putting Virginia on the board.
Alex Call put Virginia within 1 run in the 6th inning with a 2-run shot of her own, but Makenzie Butt delivered again for Tennessee with a solo insurance shot to make the score 7-5. From there, Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens slammed the door shut to advance the Lady Vols to Sunday’s title matchup.
Here’s a look at the final pitch, Pickens’ 4th and final strikeout of the day:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
