OKLAHOMA CITY – In a game that featured plenty of high-stakes situations and tension-filled drama, Laura Mealer played the hero during No. 7 Tennessee’s 5-4 victory over ninth-ranked UCLA, hitting a walk-off single in the ninth inning to send the Lady Vols to their second Women’s College World Series semifinal appearance in the last three seasons.
After a Taylor Pannell double and back-to-back walks for Sophia Nugent and McKenna Gibson, Mealer roped a 2-2 pitch between the shortstop and third baseman for her second hit and third RBI of the game. It marked UT’s third walk-off victory at the WCWS in program history, joining Tonya Callahan’s 2-run shot to lift the Big Orange over No. 1 Michigan (2005) and Tory Lewis’ RBI single against No. 11 Washington (2013).
It was the second bases-loaded hit for Mealer on the day, as she opened the scoring in the first inning with a 2-RBI single. The other two runs for the Big Orange came off the bat of Pannell, who hit her first long ball of the postseason and 16th on the year in the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the circle, Karlyn Pickens picked up her 25th victory of the season after striking out seven batters and stranding 10 on the bases. She worked out of a tight jam in the top of the ninth against the heart of the UCLA lineup, helping Tennessee (47-16) to its first win against the Bruins (55-13) since 2011.
UT is back in action Monday at noon ET, as Tennessee takes on No. 6 Texas on ESPN in the semifinals. The Big Orange needs a victory to keep its postseason alive, and a win would force a doubleheader with the second game starting 30 minutes after the first.
The Lady Vols struck in the opening frame for the third straight game of the week, as Mealer’s first single drove in Pannell and Ella Dodge. The Bruins answered in the top half of the second thanks to a pair of solo home runs, evening things up at 2-2.
That’s where the score would remain until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Pannell’s second hit of the day was a 2-run bomb over the left field wall to make it a 4-2 ballgame. The swing in momentum was started by a Gabby Leach single after eight straight UT batters had been retired.
Down to their last out, UCLA’s Megan Grant hit a game-tying 2-run homer over to center field, tying things at 4-4. However, the play came with some drama, as Grant appeared to miss home plate. After review, it was determined that she did miss the plate but was assisted back to the plate before leaving the area, which is not reviewable, meaning the play was upheld.
