Oklahoma.i start – Laura Mealer’s Single at the ninth entrance gave Tennessee a 5-4 victory over UCLA on Sunday that raised volunteers to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series and eliminated the Bruins.
The game almost had a controversial end.
UCLA’s Megan Grant hit an explosion of two races with two outs at the top of the seventh inning that seemed to tie the 4-ALL score. There was a review of the referee that seemed to involve whether or not Grant touched the Home dish. After a delay of almost 15 minutes, the home run was confirmed because it was determined in the field that the races were scored, and the arbiter of the dish announced that the work was not revisable.
Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said Tennessee noticed that Grant’s teammates touched her and helped her return to the plate. Weekly believed that was illegal, which would have turned Grant’s home run into the third out, so the volunteers notified the referees. If Grant had been called, the game would have ended with Tennessee winning 4-2.
“I think all but four people (referees) saw the work on the plate,” said Weekly. “We saw on the bench that lost the dish, and then we saw that her teammates had pushed her back. And as a rule, that should have been annulled.”
Grant said he didn’t remember much after the 251 feet explosion.
“It was just a moment off.” She said. “I know that when I entered that bat I just wanted to keep my mind right, stay aggressive. And, honestly, after the swing, I went out in fact. After the fact, I only trusted God with everything. The tensions were high and everything, and that is where I only put my pressure.”
Even after renouncing the home run, Karlyn Pickens of Tennessee recovered and was the distance for victory. The first team of the National Association of Fastpitch All-American coaches gave four races won in 11 hits and struck out seven.
“Well, during that long review/not review, we talk about whether he returns and goes against us and we are tied, then we continue playing,” Weekly said. “So we continue to place them in that mentality, I think that prepare for the worst. And then, if the best happens, great.”
Some of Tennessee players danced near the circle during the review.
“It doesn’t matter what the call was, we are rinsed and worrying about the next release,” Pickens said.
The two-run of Taylor Pannelll put Tennessee 4-2 in the fifth to help establish the dramatic end. She had three blows.
Alexis Ramírez and Sofía Mujica de UCLA arrived in solo home runs and Jordan Woolary had four hits. The Bruins (55-13) were trying to become the first semifinalist of the Big Ten from Michigan in 2015.
Tennessee (47-16) will play Texas on Monday in the semifinals and will have the rhythm of the Longhorns twice to advance the best championship series. Texas will need to win only once to get to the championship series for the third time in four years.
Pickens launched 148 launches, but Weekly said his ace will be ready to go against the Lonars.
“This is an absolute stallion in volleyball and basketball and softball and could be playing D1 in any sport. So I think that works in their favor. Tonight it will have to do with recovery and hydration. There is no tomorrow. So Karlyn will be ready to leave tomorrow and fight for his team.”
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