OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Tennessee spent the week talking about attacking early against Texas ace Teagan Kavan.
The Lady Vols backed it up Thursday.
Behind a three-run home run from freshman Elsa Morrison, aggressive at-bats early in counts, and another composed pitching performance, Tennessee knocked off Texas 6-3 in its Women’s College World Series opener.
Texas is the latest defending champion to lose their opener since Oklahoma in 2018.
Here are three takeaways from Tennessee’s statement win over Texas:
Tennessee attacked Teagan Kavan Early
The game plan entering the matchup was clear: Tennessee could not wait around against one of the nation’s best pitchers.
The Lady Vols came out aggressive immediately. While the first inning went down 1-2-3 it came by a pair of groundouts and a flyout. The contact quality signaled the approach Tennessee wanted.
Then came the breakthrough in the second.
After Alannah Leach was hit by a rise ball and McKenzie Butt worked a walk, Morrison delivered the biggest swing of the game. The freshman crushed a three-run homer to center field in her first WCWS at-bat A swing that instantly gave Tennessee control against a pitcher who rarely gives up damage.
Kavan entered the game with a 2.47 ERA and had not allowed three or more runs since a super regional loss to Arizona State earlier in the postseason.
Former Lady Vol Rylie West previewed that exact offensive mentality before the matchup.
“You have to immediately go in and attack that pitcher,” West said on Live Ball.
Tennessee did exactly that.
Tennessee’s pitching depth delivered again
Sage Mardjetko was unbeatable.
The right-hander kept Texas uncomfortable through four innings of work. Mardjetko allowed just one hit and two walks while consistently getting ahead in counts. The righty held Texas’ top two hitters hitless through the first four innings. Mardjetko finished with 50 pitches, 33 of which went for strikes.
Karlyn Pickens entered in relief during the fifth inning and immediately faced pressure. Texas opened with back-to-back baserunners. But Tennessee’s defense and composure helped limit the damage before Pickens settled in.
The biggest defensive moments came in the third and seventh innings.
Makenzie Butt delivered one of Tennessee’s most important plays of the game when she snagged a line drive at first base before hustling back to the bag to complete Tennessee’s 17th double play of the season.
Later, Bella Faw helped close out the win in the seventh inning, corralling back-to-back ground balls and firing both throws to first for consecutive outs.
Texas eventually trimmed the deficit to 5-3 after a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but Pickens responded with a strikeout of Katie Stewart and helped Tennessee close the door late.
The combination of Mardjetko and Pickens once again showed why Tennessee’s depth in the circle can become one of its biggest advantages in Oklahoma City.
Tennessee handled the pressure moments
The Lady Vols looked composed from the opening pitch despite the magnitude of the stage.
Ella Dodge provided some of Tennessee’s biggest hustle plays. Especially in the third inning when she stretched a single into a double with a perfectly executed slide to avoid the tag at second base. Moments later, Tennessee successfully challenged a rundown call at third after replay showed the tag missed Dodge’s cleat.
Even when innings became chaotic, Tennessee never appeared rattled.
Taelyn Holley scored on a sacrifice fly to plate a crucial insurance run in the seventh inning.
Morrison went 2-3 at the plate. She added a standup double off the top of the wall in the sixth inning, finishing as Tennessee’s biggest offensive spark in its opener.
