In Sunday’s Game 3 of the Norman Super Regional Lady Vols softball fell to Oklahoma, 8-2, coming up just one win short of its seventh trip to the Women’s College World Series.
The loss marked No. 10-national seed Tennessee’s (46-12) first time not advancing out of a Super Regional after successfully winning its previous six (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013).
UT scored one run in the second and one in the fourth. Oklahoma (50-11) scored two in the third, one in the fourth, one in the fifth and four in the sixth.
It was Oklahoma’s four-run sixth inning, via three home runs, that sealed the victory for the Sooners.
Melissa Davin hit a solo home run in her final collegiate game and Ellen Renfroe (30-8) threw six innings with five runs allowed in her final appearance as a Lady Vol.
OU’s Kelsey Stevens (37-8) tossed a complete game with two runs allowed and five strikeouts.
Lady Vols softball took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Haley Tobler’s high fly ball to left field was dropped by Destinee Martinez. Megan Geer scored from second base on the play to give UT the lead.
Renfroe and the Tennessee defense worked out of a jam in the bottom of the second as the Sooners left the bases loaded. With one out, Erin Miller singled up the middle, Callie Parsons singled through the left side and Javen Henson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Annie Aldrete caught a foul ball behind the plate and Taylor Koenig fielded a grounder to the left side for a 5-3 out to strand three OU baserunners.
Lauren Chamberlain hit a solo homer to the bottom of the third to knot the game at 1-1. Chamberlain took the first pitch she saw to center field for her 11th homer of the season. Oklahoma took a 2-1 lead four batters later when Miller hit an RBI single up the middle to score Brittany Williams from second base. Parsons singled and Henson was hit by a pitch to load the bases for OU, but Renfroe fielded a short grounder to the right side to get the 1-3 out and leave three Sooners stranded once again.
Davin answered for Tennessee in the top of the fourth, ripping a one-out solo home run to left field to even the game at 2-2. Davin’s homer was a lined shot straight down the left field line and marked the 30th blast of her career, tying her withAdrianna Wilson (1999-2002) for fifth place in UT history.
Oklahoma retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Shelby Pendley’s RBI fielder’s choice bunt scored Martinez from third base.
The Sooners expanded their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Henson hit a one-out solo homer to left field.
Chamberlain led off the OU sixth with a solo homer to left field, pushing the Sooners’ lead to 5-2. After Erin Gabriel relieved Renfroe in the circle, Williams hit a two-run homer and Georgia Casey followed with a solo homer to extend Oklahoma’s advantage to 8-2. Renfroe re-entered the circle and induced a flyout to center field, a groundout to short and a popup to first to close the inning.
