Let’s play two! The Texas Longhorns softball team has fended off elimination for the fifth time in the NCAA softball tournament. The Horns beat Tennessee 5-2 to force a Game 2 this afternoon. The winner will head to the championship series of the Women’s College World Series.
Texas got a huge performance out of pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez. The senior was one out short of a complete game and made big pitches at key points in the game. Gutierrez allowed one earned run and scattered five hits over six-plus innings.
At the plate, Texas’ two big sluggers powered the offense. Both Reese Atwood and Katie Stewart hit home runs, accounting for two of the five Longhorns runs.
Game 2 starter Teagan Kavan came on to get the final out after Tennessee rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh. Now she will try to pitch Texas into the finals.
FINAL: Texas 5, Tennessee 2
Kavan on to close
Texas ace Teagan Kavan has come into to try to get the final out. Kavan will pitch in the second game if the Longhorns win game one first.
Clark knocks in a run
Anna Clark’s infield single has scored a run. The bases are still loaded with two ours.
Vols send tying run to plate
Tennessee has loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the seventh. Anna Clark is up, who hit a walk-off homer to beat Texas Tech earlier in the WCWS.
On the brink
Texas three outs away from forcing a winner-take-all game 2 against the Vols.
Horns tack on run
A ground out from Ashton Maloney scored Hannah Wells to give Texas a 4 run lead going into the final frame.
Texas heads to final frame ahead
The Vols stranded Elsa Morrison on second after the catcher hit a one-out double.
Texas strands insurance runs
The Longhorns had a runner at first and second, but Reese Atwood grounded out ending the threat.
Gutierrez holds Texas lead
Horns pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez stranded one Tennessee runner at third to complete her sixth inning of work. She has only given up one run and two hits.
Nuwer limits the damage
New Vols pitcher Erin Nuwer got Victoria Hunter to ground into a double play to end the top of the fifth.
Texas blows it open
Hannah Wells hit a deep single to the centerfield wall with the bases loaded to score two runs with one out. That chased Vols pitcher Sage Mardjetko. Erin Nuwer is now pitching for Tennessee.
Stewart puts Texas back on top
Star Longhorns slugger Katie Stewart mashed her second home run in two days, giving Texas the lead back. Stewart set the single-season home run record for the Longhorns this year.
Tennessee ties it
The Vols have knotted the game 1-1 thanks to a Gabby Leach triple that scored Ella Dodge.
Boom! Atwood goes Yard
Texas slugger Reese Atwood led off the fourth inning by hammering a home run to center field. Atwood is the Longhorns all-time home run leader.
Texas gets out of jam
Despite the Stewart error, Texas pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez got out of the inning without any damage.
Error-prone Horns
Texas has committed its third error in three innings. This time Katie Stewart couldn’t catch a ball thrown by second baseman Leighann Goode.
Mardjetko works a perfect inning
So far, the Tennessee pitching change is working like a charm. Mardjetko worked a perfect 1-2-3 third inning.
Tennessee changes pitchers
The Vols have changed pitchers as Sage Mardjetko takes over for Erin Nuwer.
Vols strand more too
So far this game is looking for a clutch hit with runners on base. The Vols got two on base thanks to not one, but two throwing errors on Texas. But Gutierrez worked out of the jam and we remain scoreless.
Texas strand more on base
The Longhorns Kaiah Altmeyer got on base thans to a Tennessee a throwing error. But Jaycie Nichols grounded out to end the inning.
Tennessee shut out in first inning
Texas starter Citlaly Gutierrez got a pair of groundouts and struck out Vols slugger Emma Clarke.
Texas strands two runners in first
The Horns got two singles off Tennessee starter Erin Nuwer in the first inning, but Nuwer’s able to get out of the jam, though, with back-to-back pop-outs to center field ending the threat.
Texas Longhorns Starting Lineup
Tennessee Volunteers Starting Lineup
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: RAPID RECAP: Texas tops Tennessee to force winner-take-all Game 2
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
