Game 2: Tennessee 3, Florida 2 (Instant Recap)
Saturday, May 25, 2019 | Softball, Chris Harry
NCAA SUPER REGION / GAME 2
TENNESSEE 3, FLORIDA 2
TENNESSEE 3, FLORIDA 2
WHAT HAPPENED: UF reliever Natalie Lugo walked UT's Haley Bearden with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Lady Vols were the survivors Friday night in a nearly four-hour marathon Game 2 of their NCAA Super Regional before a raucous record-crowd of 3,140 at Pressly Stadium. Florida ace Kelly Barnhill walked two runners with one in ninth, the second bringing her two-day pitch total to 280. That's when UF coach Tim Walton went to his bullpen, summoning seldom-used Katie Chronister, who served up a single to Chelsea Seggern that loaded the bases. After that hit, Walton again went to his bullpen, calling on the more seasoned Lugo, with her 35 appearances this season. Bearden worked the count full and took an outside pitch for ball four, as Aubrey Leach strolled in from third with the winning run to force a rubber match in the best-of-three series. The Gators, who won the series opener 3-0 Friday night, never led, twice falling behind by a run in innings that could have proved much worse for the home team were it not for Barnhill. The Lady Vols took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, thanks to three hits, but the Barnhill got out of the frame with minimal damage after UT had runners at first and third with just one out. UF tied the game in the fourth behind a couple infield hits and RBI single from Jaimie Hoover. Tennessee went back up in the fifth by starting the inning with a hit-by-pitch and safe fielder's choice when third baseman Hannah Sipos tried to throw the lead runner out at second. Enter pinch-hitter Madison Pacini, who delivered a go-ahead RBI single for a 2-1 lead. But the Gators came back in the fifth behind a couple walks, then a clutch two-out, run-scoring single from sophomore Hannah Adams. Four innings latter, the Lady Vols took advantage of Barnhill's fatigue, working her for that third run that tripled the number of earned runs she'd surrendered in seven previous postseason appearances. She worked 8 1/3 innings, gave up three runs (all earned), struck out nine and walked four while throwing 158 pitches.
WHAT IT MEANS: Pretty clear-cut stakes. One more game for a berth in the Women's College World Series. UF will be trying to get there for the third straight year and 10th time in the last 12 seasons. UT seeks its first WCWS since 2015 and eighth trip in program history. What Walton will do as far as his pitcher, given Barnhill's work load the last two days, will be a difficult call.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Tennessee junior starting pitcher Caylan Arnold came into the game with a 10-8 record and 2.41 ERA in just 24 appearances -- half of Barnhill's 48 on the season. She also had only two complete games, so out-dueling Barnhill (with her 27 complete games) on the Super stage -- in an elimination game for her team, no less -- was no small feat. In working all nine innings (and leaving both ace Ashley Rodgers and No. 2 Matty Moss fresh for Sunday), Arnold surrendered the two runs, only one of which was earned, struck out seven and walked five on 177 pitches.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Barnhill and Arnold combined to throw 335 pitches.
UP NEXT: It'll be Florida (48-16) vs. Tennessee (43-16) in the decisive Game 3 on Sunday at 2 p.m., with the winner joining Alabama, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and three more teams to be determined later Saturday or Sunday at the WCWS in Oklahoma City next week. The first-pitch temperatures at KSP are expected to be in the mid-90s, with a heat index pushing the "Feels Like" factor to around 100.
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