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Tennessee softball upsets No. 2 Texas to start Women's College World Series

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey05/28/26GrantRamey

Tennessee softball used a three-run second inning to take control against No. 2 Texas and started the Women’s College World Series with a 6-3 win over the defending national champions at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

The Lady Vols (48-10) advance to face No. 11 Texas Tech (58-7) on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time (TV: ABC) in the winner bracket. Texas faces Mississippi State in an elimination game on Friday, after Tech run-ruled State 8-0 in five innings in Thursday’s first game.

Elsa Morrison hit a three-run home run in the second inning after Alannah Leach was hit by a pitch and Makenzie Butt walked. The Lady Vols added a run on a wild pitch in the fifth and Texas scored three runs over the fifth and sixth innings to get back in the game.

Sage Mardjetko gave up just one hit over four innings

Tennessee added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to get the game back to a three-run lead.

Sage Mardjetko (15-2) got the win for the Lady Vols, giving up just one hit over four innings before being replaced by Karlyn Pickens, who gave up three runs on four hits over the final three innings to pick up her seventh save of the season.

On the bottom half of the bracket, No. 1 Alabama faces No. 8 UCLA on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN2) and No. 4 Nebraska faces No. 5 Arkansas (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Tennessee in Women’s College World Series for third time in four years

This season marks the the third trip to the College World Series in the last four years for Tennessee.

The Lady Vols went 2-2 in the College World Series last year, losing to Oklahoma in the opener before wins over Florida and UCLA to stay alive in the double-elimination format. The Lady Vols were eliminated in a 2-0 loss to Texas.

The 2023 College World Series started with a win over Alabama, then a loss to Oklahoma. Tennessee stayed alive with a win over Oklahoma State, then saw its season end in a loss to Florida State.

The Lady Vols have finished as the runner up in the College World Series twice, losing in two games in the championship series to Oklahoma in 2013 and three games to Arizona in 2007.

Tennessee advanced to the Super Regional round after a win over Northern Kentucky and two wins over Virginia in the Knoxville Regional last week. The Lady Vols started this season a perfect 26-0 before losing 1-0 at Mississippi State on March 14.