Texas Softball Drops First Game of Women's College World Series vs. Tennessee

The Texas Longhorns will once again have to work with their backs against the wall and stare at elimination once more after dropping their first game of the Women's College World Series.

The defending national champions made the trip back to Oklahoma City to defend their crown, and the defense started with a meeting against the No. 7 overall seeded Tennessee Volunteers. However, the Longhorns came out flat in their first action of the Women's College World Series.

Texas wouldn't get off to the fast start that it would hope for, being handed a 6-3 loss by the Volunteers on Thursday afternoon. The Longhorns would have a cold start, which they were unable to wake up from, forcing them to avoid elimination for the rest of the Women's College World Series.

Texas' Late Stage Rally Falls Short

Texas Longhorns utility Leighann Goode (43) yells after her three run home run in the first inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Throughout the Longhorns' three games in the Austin Super Regional, they struggled to get off to quick starts in all three ballgames, and it would be the same kind of start for the Texas batting order in Oklahoma City.

"They outplayed us today in all facets of the game," Mike White said. "We fought hard to come back, but we weren't able to capitalize on some opportunities we had."

Texas wouldn't find its first hit of the game until the third inning and wouldn't find its first run until the fifth. The heart of the Longhorns' lineup was kept quiet through all seven innings, with the one through five hitters being 2 of 13 on the day, and the first three batters of the lineup would be held hitless.

While the Longhorns didn't find much of a spark, the Volunteers wouldn't have much of an issue getting to Texas' ace junior Teagan Kavan right away. Tennessee would break through in the second inning, starting with two free passes allowed by Kavan with a hit-by-pitch and a walk that would be taken advantage of with a three-run home run by freshman Elsa Morrison.

Kavan wouldn't have her usual strong start, pitching just three innings as she allowed four hits, a walk, three earned runs, while punching out just three batters. The Volunteers were able to hang on to their lead for the rest of the ballgame.

Tennessee would increase its lead to 4-0 before the Longhorns found their first run in the fifth inning. While Texas attempted to rally late in the final three innings, scoring in the fifth and sixth innings, the Volunteers kept responding, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

A two-out two-run home run, courtesy of senior Leighann Goode, gave the Longhorns a late spark in the sixth inning. However, the spark would come a little too late, with the last four batters being retired in order.

The Longhorns will now battle out of the loser's side of the bracket and face elimination the next time they head out on the field in Oklahoma City.

"The identity of our team is Texas Fight," Resse Atwood said. "It's the culture, the standard that Coach White and the rest of the coaching staff have put into us. We're going to Texas Fight, we're going to do everything we can, pretty or ugly, we're going to get the job done and win."

Texas will need a win to keep its Women's College World Series and 2026 season alive and will do so by taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday, May 29, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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