The Tennessee Lady Vols softball team defeated Michigan 4-3 in the Super Regional on Friday to earn a trip to the Women’s Softball World Series.
The win will send Tennessee to the Women’s Softball World Series for the fourth time and first since 2007.
The second-seeded Lady Wolverines (49-8) had been heavily favored to advance against the 15th-seeded Lady Vols (47-13).
Tennessee’s Erinn Webb, who came in batting .219, led the Lady Vols with two home runs off Michigan ace Jordan Taylor.
Nicole Kajitani hit a solo homer that silenced the crowd of 2,479 and the rowdy Michigan pep band that played “Hail to the Victors” between each inning at Alumni Field.
With Tennessee ahead 4-0, Michigan fought back as Angela Finley hit a two-run shot chasing Lady Vols’ starter Kat Hosfield.
The Wolverines Dorian Shaw hit s solo homer to cut the lead to 4-3.
In the 7th, Michigan loaded the bases on Ivy Renfroe but couldn’t get a run across the plate, sealing the win for Tennessee.
“People were saying when we came up here that we were a Cinderella team,” Tennessee co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. “So I told our team before the game, ‘let’s put on that slipper and go to the dance.”
The eight teams going to the Women’s Softball World Series come from four conferences. The SEC and Pac-10 will each send three teams to Oklahoma City, while the Big XII and WAC will send one each.
Hawaii upset overall No.1 seed Alabama on Sunday when Jenna Rodriguez’s hit a two-run, walk-off home run that eliminated the Crimson Tide with a 5-4 win.
The Lady Vols, which beat Michigan 5-0 Thursday, begins play against Arizona in Oklahoma City on June 3.
Women’s College World Series
Thursday, June 3
Game 1: No. 9 Missouri (51-11) vs. No. 16 Hawaii (49-14)
Game 2: No. 5 UCLA (45-11) vs. No. 4 Florida (48-8)
Game 3: No. 10 Arizona (48-11) vs. No. 15 Tennessee (47-13)
Game 4: No. 6 Georgia (48-11) vs. No. 3 Washington (50-7)
