Texas Tech Softball Falls to Tennessee 2-1 in WCWS Thriller
In a game with a little fireworks during and after the game, Texas Tech’s first setback in the Women’s College World Series came in the smallest of margins in an instant classic so powerful it knocked out the broadcast early in the game.
The Red Raiders ultimately erased a one-run deficit in the seventh inning and pushed Tennessee into extra innings before the Volunteers escaped with a 2-1 walk-off victory in nine innings Saturday afternoon at Devon Park.
“Phenomenal crowd. Phenomenal atmosphere. I thought it was a really good softball game,” Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco said. “Tip your hat to Tennessee, they won. They shut our offense down the way that I don’t think we’ve been shut down like that in the postseason.”
In a matchup featuring four of the nation’s premier pitchers, offense was at a premium all afternoon. Tennessee finally broke the 0-0 deadlock in the fifth inning when Emma Clarke launched a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 lead.
The Red Raiders nearly answered an inning later.
Mia Williams doubled in the sixth and appeared poised to score the tying run, but Tennessee center fielder Sophia Knight charged a ball in the gap and delivered a perfect throw home to cut Williams down at the plate and preserve the Volunteers’ lead.
“I thought she’d make it to center field,” Glasco said. “She made a perfect throw. The centerfielder made a great, great throw. Catcher made a great catch. I felt like it was really close.”
The score held at 1-0 headed to the top of the seventh. Down to its final three outs, former Tennessee infielder Taylor Pannell opened the seventh inning with a single and immediately put pressure on the Volunteers. Pannell eventually was standing on third with one out before Desirae Spearman delivered the biggest swing of her young career.
Batting in her first Women’s College World Series game, Spearman lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that brought Pannell home with the tying run. Pannell’s slide around the tag capped the comeback and tied the game at 1-1. She was ruled out live, but replay showed she clearly snuck around the tag to tie it up.
“I thought Taylor did a great job of not just getting a hit, but base running,” Glasco said. “It was really extraordinary. It was so easy to leave early. She left exactly on time.”
The inning looked like it could become much more. Missed opportunities for Texas Tech or great defense from Tennessee?
Texas Tech loaded the bases with nobody out and appeared poised to take complete control of the game. Instead, Tennessee’s defense answered with a series of clutch plays to limit the damage to a single run.
“We left eight runners on,” Glasco said not pointing to solely the 7th inning as times they need to be better. “In nine innings we need to have more than five hits. I thought their defense made several really nice plays, especially in big situations.”
Terry returned to the circle to close out the game from the seventh on and was locked in striking out three in two innings of work. Tech could not capatlize though and Tennessee’s Emma Clarke ended the marathon with one swing to start the bottom of the ninth, driving a fly ball deep to center field. Tech’s Mihyia Davis raced back and leaped at the wall, but the ball carried just beyond her outstretched glove for a walk-off home run.
The emotional finish stung, but Texas Tech’s focus quickly shifted toward the opportunity still in front of them.
“I think emotions were very high this game,” Pannell said. “We just have to take it and learn from it for the following game. Obviously we’re not done yet. Coach is known for winning series and not losing back to back. We’re going to take that mentality with every out we have and play with it. Today we came back in the top of the seventh. With every out we have, we’re just going to fight.”
Williams echoed that message.
“I think just keeping the highs that we had this game and taking it into the next game and just fighting and being dawgs on the field,” Williams said.
And no, the emotions did not completely end with the final out.
During Tennessee’s postgame press conference, Volunteers head coach Karen Weekly was asked what was said in the postgame handshake line. A handshake that did seem to linger longer than normal for those in person which prompted the question. She said she told Pannell “good game, like I tell all players.”
Pannell however described the interaction differently.
“We were walking through the line just saying ‘good game,’ and she said that I made a mistake instead of saying ‘good game,’ which is kind of crazy,” Pannell said. “Like celebrate with your team. I just think it’s funny she’s still thinking about it. It’s old news. Whatever.”
What was said or not said we may never know but we do know Taylor Pannell seems plenty happy right where she is and as she said on her own socials postgame “loves this team.” She and her teammates will have another chance to fight together on Sunday when Texas Tech faces an elimination game against UCLA at 6 p.m. Sunday. Win and they set up a semifinal matchup with Alabama on Monday after the Tide beat Nebraska in the Saturday nightcap.
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