OKLAHOMA CITY – The odds were in Tennessee softball's favor going into the Women's College World Series semifinals.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols had to lose twice to miss their first berth in the championship series since 2013 – but when faced with the very best the reigning national champions had to offer, they did just that.
Tennessee lost 5-2 to No. 2 seed Texas in the first game at Devon Park on June 1, forcing an elimination game for a trip to the finals. When the moment was bigger than it has ever been for this young Lady Vols team, they were bested by the Longhorns, who had been there, done that before.
Texas returned the core from its national championship team, while Tennessee only had four hitters in its lineup from last year's WCWS run. When the stakes skyrocketed and demanded the best players rise to the occasion, that experience separated the Longhorns.
In the second game of the day, Tennessee (49-12) was eliminated in a 4-0 loss to the Longhorns (51-12), ending a roller coaster of a season in the WCWS semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons.