Stewart homer, Morgan and Teagan Kavan pitching send Texas past Tennessee for spot in WCWS finals
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Katie Stewart hit a home run, Mac Morgan and Teagan Kavan combined on a 3-hitter, and Texas defeated Tennessee 2-0 on Monday to reach the Women's College World Series championship series for the third time in four years.
Kavan, who threw a complete game with eight strikeouts in Saturday's 4-2 win over Oklahoma, came on in relief of Morgan in the fifth inning and didn't allow a hit the rest of the way. She struck out the Volunteers' Emma Clarke to end the game.
Texas (54-11) will play either Oklahoma or Texas Tech in the best-of-three series, which starts Wednesday. Those teams square off in Monday night's other semifinal.
Karlyn Pickens, a National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-American, allowed just one earned run on five hits and struck out nine for Tennessee (47-17).
Texas loaded the bases against Pickens in the third with one out but couldn't score. Reese Atwood struck out swinging and Joley Mitchell popped out to the catcher to end the inning.
Things got heated in the top of the fourth when Tennessee hitting coach Craig Snider, the former Texas Tech head coach, appeared to have words with the Texas dugout and was ejected.
Stewart homered off Pickens to start the fourth, a high drive to left that drifted beyond the outstretched glove of Alannah Leach. Pickens recovered quickly, striking out the next three batters she faced.
Morgan got the win, striking out four and walking one. The Longhorns added an insurance run the sixth on a throwing error by Vols third baseman Taylor Pannell.
___
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