Softball outcomes can be determined by one swing of the bat, with some of those swings occurring earlier in games than others.
Zaida Puni's three-run home run to left field in the second inning of Friday's NCAA tournament super regional opener put Tennessee in control against Texas with a 4-0 lead, and the Lady Vols went on to a 5-2 triumph before 2,417 fans inside Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The Lady Vols and Longhorns will play again Saturday afternoon at 3 (ABC), with Tennessee needing one more win to reach the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2015.
"That was a tough, tough game just like we expected it to be," Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said in a news conference. "Tomorrow is going to be even tougher, and we need to come out and be prepared for that. We got punched and pushed a little in this game, but we held our ground."
The Lady Vols improved to 48-8 with the victory, while the Longhorns dropped to 45-14-1. Texas must win Saturday to force a deciding contest Sunday.
Puni's blast — the junior third baseman who began her college career at Oklahoma knew instantly she had left the park — brought home Shakara Goodloe and Kiki Milloy for the four-run advantage. Milloy had singled up the middle moments earlier to score Jamison Brockenbrough for the game's first run.
"Our main goal is just to attack when we get inside that box," Puni said simply when asked about her heroics.
Texas tallied eight hits to Tennessee's seven, but Lady Vols senior pitcher Ashley Rogers was able to minimize the damage, working all seven innings and compiling eight strikeouts. The former Meigs County standout recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning with the help of an impressive catch by Milloy in center and improved to 18-1 this season.
"I think that catch spoke for itself," Rogers said. "It was awesome. It was over the shoulder. I don't even know how she caught that.
"I just know that she has my back and that she is going to give it everything she's got. She's obviously a freak athlete."
Georgia fires Stricklin
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks announced Friday that baseball coach Scott Stricklin would not be retained after 10 seasons with the Bulldogs.
Stricklin guided Georgia to a 299-236-1 record that included a 121-146-1 mark in Southeastern Conference games. The Bulldogs made only three NCAA tournament trips during his tenure and never advanced to a super regional.
"I want to thank Scott for his service to our athletic department over the last 10 years," Brooks said via a release. "After much thought and deliberation, we feel it is in the best interest of our baseball program to move in a different direction. We will begin immediately the process of a national search to identify the next leader of our baseball team."
This season's Bulldogs were 29-27 overall and 10-20 within the SEC, concluding their season Tuesday with a 9-0 loss to South Carolina in the league tournament.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.