OKLAHOMA CITY — No. 4 Tennessee softball kept its WCWS hopes alive on Sunday night with an elimination game victory over No. 6 Oklahoma State at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.
The Lady Vols strung together timely hits in the third inning, and the defense turned in a stellar performance behind a fantastic outing from pitcher Ashley Rogers to defeat the Cowgirls 3-1 and earn a spot in the WCWS semifinals.
Rogers tossed a complete game behind 136 pitches, four strikeouts and just one earned run to capture her 20th pitching win of the season.
Zaida Puni notched her 14th RBI of the postseason with a go-ahead double in the third inning to drive in Kiki Milloy. Rylie West followed her lead and drove in Brylee Mesusan, who pinch-ran for Puni, to make it a 2-0 game.
Puni scored a run of her own when she came through on a throwing error in the fifth inning. OSU's Morgyn Wynne spoiled the shutout with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, but that was the only run the Cowgirls got through in the game.
Tennessee will meet No. 3 Florida State in the WCWS semifinals on Monday, June 5. The Lady Vols will need to defeat the Seminoles twice in a row to advance to the WCWS finals. First pitch in the first game of the night is set to begin at 7 p.m. with an "if-necessary" game slated for 9:30 p.m.
