Freshman Elsa Morrison smashed the first pitch she saw over the center field fence for a three-run home run in the second inning and Tennessee beat defending national champion Texas 6-3 in the Women’s College World Series at Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon.
Sage Mardjetko (15-2) got the win for Tennessee in four shutout innings and muted the high-powered Texas offense. She has 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings this postseason.
SEC Player of the Year Katie Stewart went hitless for the Longhorns in three at-bats.
Morrison doubled off the top of the wall in the sixth and was 2-for-3 despite missing her second homer by a narrow margin.
Taelyn Holley scored two runs for Tennessee, which avenged a 2-0 loss to Texas in the 2025 WCWS semifinals.
Morrison’s heroics are becoming expected. She belted a tiebreaking homer to sink Northern Kentucky in the regional opener and now has seven homers this season.
Texas cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth. After Gold Glove senior catcher and cleanup hitter Reese Atwood got Texas on the board, second baseman Leighann Goode delivered with two outs. She roped a two-run home run to center field off the Volunteers’ Karlyn Pickens, who was clocked at a record 78 mph — the equivalent of 109 mph from an MLB regulation pitching mound.
Pickens and Tennessee (48-10) advance to meet Texas Tech and starter NiJaree Canady on Friday for a spot in the semifinals. The Red Raiders won 8-0 in five innings in the WCWS opener Thursday.
The Longhorns will face Mississippi State, which managed two hits and zero runs Thursday against Texas Tech, in an elimination game.
–Field Level Media
