KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – For the first time since 2015, Tennessee softball has earned its way into the Women’s College World Series with a 9-0 victory over Texas.
The Lady Vols scored eight of the team’s nine runs in the final two innings to secure a two-game sweep of the Longhorns in the Knoxville Super Regional.
Zaida Puni earned a fielder’s choice RBI just moments into the game, as Kiki Milloy came sliding home for the first run of the afternoon.
For the next four innings, the Big Orange defense took over, led by an inspired performance from senior Pitcher Payton Gottshall. The Massillon, Ohio native hurled all 7.0 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five batters.
Some insurance finally came for Gottshall in the sixth inning, as Destiny Rodriguez deposited an RBI single into the gap in right-center field. A second run would score on a throwing error, stretching the Lady Vols’ lead to 3-0.
Jamison Brockenbrough hit an RBI single of her own in the seventh inning, as Guilia Koutsoyanopulos busted the game open with an RBI single to right field. The ball skipped through the outfielder’s legs and all the way to the wall, as Koutsoyanopulos cleared the bags and tagged home herself for an 8-0 lead.
Katie Taylor scored the final run of the game on a fielding error later in the inning.
“I stood watching them warmup yesterday before the first game and I honestly got tears in my eyes just thinking about how much I love coaching this group,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said.
“I just knew going into Regionals and obviously coming into Super Regionals – I knew that we were doing it,” Milloy said. “I knew that we were making it – it doesn’t matter what needs to happen to do it, but I knew this team was going to get after it and win these games that we needed to.”
Tennessee (49-8) will make the trip to Oklahoma City this week as one of the final eight teams standing in NCAA Division I softball. Pool play for the Women’s College World Series begins on Thursday, June 1.
