Sophia Nugent wasn’t missing out on another home run in the NCAA regional.
The Tennessee catcher hit a moonshot to left field that went just foul against Ohio State the day before, and Nugent was ready to finish the job in the regional final rematch with the Buckeyes. With a 1-1 count in the top of the sixth inning, she swung and sent the ball flying to left field.
The ball dropped on top of the left field wall on the foul line, bouncing off the foul pole and back into play. Ohio State challenged the call, but it was confirmed a home run after review.
The call was a crucial one for Tennessee softball, which had only managed to log three hits before Nugent’s homer. It also broke open the game for the No. 7 seed Lady Vols, who scored again right after that with an RBI-double from Laura Mealer.
Tennessee (43-14) added two more runs in the seventh from Gabby Leach’s solo home run and an RBI-single from Saviya Morgan. The Lady Vols blanked the Buckeyes 5-0 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on May 18, advancing to their third straight NCAA super regional.
Tennessee will face the winner of Nebraska and Southeastern Louisiana, which eliminated No. 10 seed LSU, in the super regional in Knoxville. Game days and times have yet to be announced.
Sophomore pitcher Sage Mardjetko started for Tennessee (43-14), and she was excellent against Ohio State (45-14-1). She held the highest-scoring offense in the country scoreless, keeping them just as off-balance as SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens did the day before.
Mardjetko had five strikeouts with two walks and two hits in five innings against the Buckeyes, who got caught looking in three of her strikeouts. Pickens relieved her in the sixth inning, and she logged five strikeouts with no hits in two innings to close out the win.
It took longer for Tennessee’s offense to heat up in the second straight matchup against Ohio State pitcher Kennedy Kay. But once the Lady Vols still ended up with eight hits, with three doubles and two home runs. Morgan and Mealer led Tennessee with two hits each, and Nugent led with two RBIs.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
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