Lady Vols softball eliminated by Florida in 8 innings
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — One moment, Tennessee was celebrating the improbable reprieve to the end of its softball season. Less than two innings later, that season came to an abrupt end.
Haley Bearden’s solo home run in the seventh inning tied the score for the Lady Vols, but Florida’s Jaimie Hoover ripped a changeup into left for the game-winning run in the eighth.
The Lady Vols milled about as the Gators celebrated their Game 3 victory in the best-of-three Super Regional, a 2-1 extra-inning affair Sunday afternoon in the 99-degree heat of Pressly Stadium that sent fifth-seed Florida to the Women’s College World Series.
The flip side is Super Regional frustration again for Tennessee (43-17), the 12th seed, which won Game 2 on Saturday night 3-2 in nine innings. The Lady Vols again found their path to Oklahoma City blocked by an SEC rival. Two years ago, it was Texas A&M. Last season, it was Georgia. This time, Florida (49-16).
It also extends a WCWS drought for Tennessee that dates to 2015. Seniors Bearden, Matty Moss, Aubrey Leach, Katie Weimer and Abby Lockman never got past the Super Regional.
Lady Vols co-head coach Karen Weekly pointed out that, as a coach, she probably will have more chances to go to Oklahoma City. But for the seniors, this was it.
“I watch other coaches get emotional, and I’m like, ‘I’m never doing that,’ ” said Weekly, who took a deep breath before talking about her seniors. “That’s the hard part for me, though. This group never got to experience Oklahoma City. The seniors are great students, great role models, done everything we’ve asked. So it’s heartbreaking for me as a coach not to be able to take them there, not to be able to experience it with them.”
The Lady Vols, who had many chances throughout the opening two games, were held in check by Gators starter Kelly Barnhill (34-12), who threw 383 pitches total in less than 46 hours.
But, with Barnhill holding a 1-0 lead, Bearden drove the first pitch of the seventh beyond the left-center wall to tie the score. Bearden was mobbed at the plate.
“I wasn’t trying to do that. I was trying to get on base, make something happen,” Bearden said. “That was an accident. But I’m glad it happened.”
NCAA Gainesville Super Regional Post Game 3
Between Barnhill and Lady Vols starter Ashley Rogers (21-7), it seemed like a long game could be in store. Barnhill struck out seven and allowed four hits with four 1-2-3 innings. Rogers, after surrendering a run after a fluke play in the first, allowed six hits and struck out eight.
“We just wanted to play for each other, play for our seniors,” Rogers said. “We wanted to come out and leave it all, give it all, with no regrets.”
In the eighth, Amanda Lorenz laced a one-out double, and then Kendyl Lindaman was intentionally walked. Each runner advanced a base on a fielder’s choice.
Up stepped Hoover, who had struck out three times. Florida coach Tim Walton flirted with the idea of lifting Hoover, who has seven home runs this season. But instead, he told her she just needed a base hit.
Rogers said she placed the pitch where she wanted, and Hoover said she was not looking for a changeup. But she hit a one-strike pitch to left, ending the season for the Lady Vols.
The Lady Vols stranded 23 runners, with 14 in scoring position over three games.
But the opportunities were fewer Sunday. Tennessee had runners in only four innings. Kaitlin Parsons had two singles but was stranded in the third and erased on a double play in the fifth.
The Lady Vols also went to a high-risk, high-reward approach. After gambling with an unsuccessful steal of home in the eighth inning of Game 2, they tried for a steal of third in the sixth Sunday. With runners on first and second and one out, Leach, Tennessee’s leadoff hitter, was caught attempting to steal third.
It was only the second time in 22 attempts this season that Leach had been caught stealing. Barnhill then recorded her fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
“I felt like we chased pitches out of the zone a lot more than we did (Saturday) and the first day,” Weekly said. “I think that certainly helped (Barnhill). When you see a pitcher who had nearly 300 pitches under her belt after two days, you need to extend her.”