The Lady Vols took Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in their Summitt Blue uniforms for the Knoxville Regional Finals. Standing in their way was once again, Ohio State who had to win their way out of the losers bracket after losing 4-2 to Tennessee on Saturday.
The Buckeyes run-ruled Miami of Ohio 11-1 to advance to the finals.
Sage Mardjetko started in the circle for the Lady Vols. The sophomore righty entered the game with a 2.55 ERA. She’s 11-2 on the season, averaging 8.5 strikeouts a game.
The Lady Vols faced the same pitcher who started the last time the two teams met in Kennedy Kay. In Saturday’s meeting, she gave up nine hits and 4 runs in six innings of work. Kay gave up a hit and a run in her first frame of work.
However, in Sunday’s Finals the Lady Vols did not reach base in the first inning. Instead, two flyouts and a line out.
Ohio State found the first hit of the game after a grounder got past a diving Taylor Pannell on the left field line.
The next batter struck out after a seven-pitch battle for the second out of the inning. The frame closed with a flyout to second base.
McKenna Gibson gave the Lady Vols its first base hit in the top of the second after she ripped a line drive up the middle. A flyout and popup closed the inning and stranded Gibson.
After giving up a walk in the bottom of the second pitching coach, Megan Rhodes Smith had a brief meeting with Mardjetko. One pitch later, Mardjetko caught Skylar Limon looking for the final out of the inning.
The third inning was a quick one with both teams going three up, three down. Mardjetko closed the inning with a strikeout for her third strikeout of the game.
As the team ran to the dugout, head coach Karen Weekly and staff met the team for a brief talk.
Whatever was said, clicked.
Saviya Morgan took the first pitch she saw all the way back to the center field wall for a double. to start the fourth. Sophia Nugent then squared it up deep to right field, the sac fly advanced Morgan to third with two outs.
Unfortunately, Gibson lined it right to shortstop for the final out, stranding Morgan.
The Lady Vols have now stranded two, but just one was in scoring position.
Ohio State found early contact but the Lady Vols’ defense was just a little better to keep those efforts at bay. Such as a hard grounder to third that Pannell was able to corral and throw to first for the out.
Mardjetko caught another Buckeye looking, and struck out Reagan Milliken after a nine-pitch battle.
The Lady Vols gave up a base hit with the next batter with a single up the middle.
Rhodes Smith took a second visit to the circle, that meeting was just as brief as the first.
A 1-2 count turned to a 2-2 count 2 outs and loud ‘Lady ‘ cheers filled the stadium.
Two foul swings followed.
‘Sage Mardjetko’ chants filled the stadium next.
Sami Bewick would foul out with a popup near the third base side and the Lady Vols strand one Buckeye.
Next, it was hitting coach, Craig Snider, who led the team in a passionate pep talk in between innings.
For just the second time this game the Lady Vols got a runner in scoring position. Laura Mealer reached base on a single up the left side. Emma Clarke did her job beautifully with a sac bunt to move Mealer to second.
Gabby Leach followed that effort with a hard hit out to center to move Amanda Ahlin, who pinch-ran for Mealer, to third with two outs.
However, similar to last time it was another flyout to close the inning and strand another Lady Vol in scoring position.
The pressure got turned up a notch in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ohio State was able to get a runner in scoring scoring position for the first time this game.
OSU used a sac bunt to advance Limon to second base, but that was as far as she’d get.
Mardjetko pitched a massive strikeout to close the frame and the Lady Vols kept it a scoreless game through five.
The Lady Vols finally ended the scoreless battle in the top of the sixth when Tennessee’s co-leader in home runs, Sophia Nugent went yard for the 16th time this season.
Initially, she thought it was a double after the Buckeye’s left fielder seemed to bobble the ball out of her glove.
The umpires signaled a home run, and RBI double turned into a two-run home run to give Tennessee a 2-0 run.
After a review, the call was upheld and Nugent became the sole leader of home runs for Tennessee.
Lady Vols added an insurance run when Mealer sent a doubled up the third base side and head coach Karen Weekly signaled Zoie Shuler to go home from second.
The RBI double extended the lead by one, 3-0 with two outs. A flyout closed the inning.
Karlyn Pickens came in relief of Mardjetko in the sixth inning. Mardjetko finished with five strikeouts in five innings of work and gave up just two hits.
Pickens got to work quickly with two strikeouts to capture the final outs of the sixth.
Gabby Leach added to the damage in the seventh when she launched another home run ball in the Knoxville Regional. This time to the right-center field stands to give Tennessee a 4-0 lead with no outs.
Later, Morgan roped one to the right field gap for an RBI single, 5-0 Lady Vols with 1 out.
In the final bottom half, Pickens struck out the second, third, and fourth batter to close the game.
The Lady Vols won 5-0!
After two meetings with OSU, the Lady Vols held the country’s leader in home runs to zero.
On average, Ohio State gives up just 4.2 runs a game. The Lady Vols met that margin in both contests.
The Lady Vols now advance to the Knoxville Super Regionals, which starts May 22-25th.
