Skip to main content
Texas
Join Now

Texas sets up the 'if necessary' game with win over Tennessee

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook06/01/26josephcook89

Texas once again prevailed with its back against the wall, defeating Tennessee 5-2 at the Women’s College World Series. The Longhorns will have to defeat the Volunteers again in order to advance to the Championship Series for the second consecutive season at 2:17 p.m.

[Sign up for Inside Texas and get 50% off Premium Access!]

Texas opened the scoring in the top of the fourth thanks to a solo home run from Reese Atwood. The homer was Atwood’s first career dinger at the Women’s College World Series. Tennessee responded quickly with a walk followed by a Gabby Leach triple, knotting the game at one apiece in the bottom half.

Katie Stewart’s legend continued to grow when she slugged a homer to deep left to make it 2-1 in the top of the fifth. It was Stewart’s fifth career WCWS homer, which is tied for first among Longhorns with Mia Scott.

The Longhorns would go on to put up a crooked number in the fifth. Viviana Martinez doubled to bring up Atwood, who walked to put two on with one out. Leighann Goode singled to load the bases for Hannah Wells. Wells slammed a ball off the center field wall for a two-run single that made it 4-1.

Texas added a run in the seventh when Wells scored on a ground ball off the bat of Ashton Maloney. Maloney forced the fielder to run to her to make the tag and Wells slid in safe to make it 5-1 thanks to the time provided by Maloney’s savvy baserunning.

Texas was able to work around four errors thanks to the stellar pitching of Citlaly Gutierrez.

Gutierrez threw 6.2 innings and allowed five hits, earning the victory. She gave up two runs (one earned), walked two, and struck out three on 102 pitches.

Tennessee plated one in the bottom of the seventh, forcing Mike White to bring in Teagan Kavan. Kavan earned the save with a strikeout that stranded the bases loaded with the winning run at the plate.

Expect Kavan to take the circle for the Longhorns while Tennessee deploys Karlyn Pickens. Pickens warmed up for the Volunteers during game one but ultimately did not enter the contest in order to save her pitching for the “if necessary” game. ESPN will air the game.

With a win, the Longhorns would be playing in their fourth championship series in program history. Texas won the national title in 2025 and finished as runner up in 2022 and 2024.

You may also like