KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball lost back-to-back contests against Oregon State on Sunday as the Beavers dashed the Lady Vols' championship hopes at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Mariah Mazon blasted a two-run home run off of UT's Erin Edmoundson to break a scoreless tie in the sixth. Madison Simon drove in another run in the sixth in Oregon State's 3-1 victory.
The Lady Vols had one final chance to put runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning. Mariah Mazon took the mound in relief for the Beavers. She got two quick outs before UT's Ashley Morgan left the yard to get the Lady Vols on the board. Mazon recovered to get the last out as OSU clinched the win and a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Both teams escaped dangerous situations throughout the contest. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Tennessee got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the Beavers off the board. Zaida Puni threatened OSU with a two-out triple in the top of the sixth, but McKenna Gibson flew out to leave Puni stranded on third.
Oregon State forced the winner-take-all finale when the team defeated Tennessee earlier on Sunday afternoon. Tennessee's only two losses in the Knoxville Regional came against the Beavers on Sunday. OSU booked its first trip to the Super Regionals since 2006 and will play fellow unseeded team Stanford in that best-of-three matchup.
