Tennessee softball loses to Alabama in longest recreation in NCAA tremendous regional historical past to power third recreation – Knoxville Information Sentinel

Each play of the second recreation of the NCAA tremendous regional was a grind.
Neither Tennessee softball or Alabama might achieve any momentum and went to 14 innings earlier than the Tide broke by way of the stalemate. Each coaches exhausted their challenges. Each groups scrapped for each out. The Woman Vols could not capitalize with runners in scoring place, and it value them.
No. 3 seed Tennessee (44-11) misplaced to No. 14 seed Alabama 3-2 within the second recreation of the NCAA super regional Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Tennessee will face Alabama within the best-of-three collection finale Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN) to determine who strikes on to the Women’s College World Series.
The loss was the longest recreation in program historical past for the Woman Vols. The earlier report was when Tennessee went 13 innings in opposition to Mississippi State in the 2022 SEC Tournament. Saturday’s recreation was additionally the longest tremendous regional recreation in NCAA historical past by innings and time with the sport lasting practically 5 hours.
Sophia Nugent’s solo house run put Tennessee up 2-1 within the fourth earlier than Alabama responded within the backside of the inning to tie it up 2-2. Neither crew scored for 10 innings after that.
Kiki Milloy was the one Tennessee participant with a number of hits. She went 3-for-5 with two walks and a stolen base, however Tennessee could not get its profession runs chief throughout the plate.
The Woman Vols obtained going offensively early, however they left too many runners stranded. Failing to capitalize on runners in scoring place on three massive alternatives got here again to hang-out them. Tennessee ended with 11 hits and solely two runs to point out for it.
After Tennessee tied the sport 1-1, Milloy was as much as bat with the bases loaded. The senior middle fielder popped as much as second base. Within the fifth inning, after Alabama tied the sport 2-2, Tennessee had runners on the corners with two outs. However Zaida Puni struck out swinging,.
Tennessee left the bases loaded as soon as once more within the 14th inning. After Puni hit a single, Alabama hit two batters to load the bases. However Giulia Koutsoyanopulos’ hit was fielded simply and Alabama obtained out of the inning.
Tennessee left 18 runners on base and went 3-for-25 with runners on and 2-for-12 with runners in scoring place.
Alabama pitcher Kayla Beaver (18-9) allowed six hits in 10 scoreless innings of reduction.
Tennessee used each its star pitchers once more, however this time Payton Gottshall obtained the beginning.
Gottshall went 3⅔ innings earlier than Karlyn Pickens (22-7) relieved her. Alabama obtained runners on base early within the first inning, one off a single and one off an error, and it resulted in an early 1-0 lead for the Tide.
Gottshall stored Alabama scoreless till the fourth inning when she gave up a solo shot to left discipline by Bailey Dowling, which tied the sport at 2-2. She completed with three strikeouts, 4 hits allowed and one earned run.
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Pickens helped power additional innings, holding the Tide scoreless in regulation. She gave Tennessee an opportunity to attain time and time once more, ending the ninth with a strikeout and going three up, three down the subsequent two innings. Pickens completed with 10 strikeouts, 5 hits allowed, three walks and three hit by pitch in 9⅓ innings.
Cora Hall covers College of Tennessee girls’s athletics. E-mail her at cora.corridor@knoxnews.com and comply with her on Twitter @corahalll. For those who get pleasure from Cora’s protection, consider a digital subscription that means that you can entry all of it.

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