Tennessee is among the final four softball teams standing in Oklahoma City.
Fifth-year senior Ashley Rogers added more memories to her only career appearance at the Women’s College World Series, pitching a four-hitter Sunday night as the Lady Vols eliminated Oklahoma State 3-1. The former Meigs County standout threw 136 pitches and 85 strikes as Tennessee (51-9) advanced to the WCWS semifinals for the first time since 2013.
“I just continued to mix and tried not to rely on one pitch,” Rogers said afterward on the ESPN2 broadcast. “I tried to work the whole plate the whole night. I’ve worked to get here, and I know I have the tools to go out there and execute.”
Said Lady Vols coach Karen Weekly: “She’s a warrior. A lot of it out there is just pure guts.”
Tennessee, the No. 4 overall seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, will play No. 3 Florida State on Monday night (7 on ESPN) in the second semifinal. Monday’s first semi (noon on ESPN) contains No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 9 Stanford.