Texas Softball Punches Ticket to Women's College World Series Championship

The Texas Longhorns will make their return to the Women's College World Series championship series to defend their national title and make it four trips to the championship series in the last five years.

The Longhorns headed into the semifinals round with a mountain to climb, needing to win two straight ballgames against the Tennessee Volunteers to have a shot at the championship series. Texas got the day started with a 5-2 win to set up a win or home second game just a few minutes later.

And the Longhorns managed to sweep a doubleheader against the Volunteers to advance into the championship series, winning 4-0 in the second game of the day between the two teams.

Teagan Kavan Twirls Masterpiece Aided by Timely Hitting

Texas Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan (17) throws a pitch during the second softball game of the day between the University of Texas Longhorns and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Longhorns and head coach Mike White were able to save their ace in junior Teagan Kavan for the second game of the day, as senior Citlaly Gutierrez pitched the majority of the first game. And the saving of Kavan was critical as the junior tossed a gem to get the Longhorns the chance to defend their national title.

"Today I just wanted to leave it all out there," Gutierrez said. " It's do or die, so give it my all, and I knew that my offense is going to have my back even when things got rocky."

The ace would go the distance for the third straight game for the complete game shutout. The gem would be Kavan's fifth career shutout at the Women's College World Series, which sets a Texas program record, besting the record set by legendary Longhorn pitcher Cat Osterman.

Kavan would retire the first 11 batters she faced in the ballgame as she held a no-hitter into the fourth inning. In the junior's seven innings of work, the Volunteers managed just two hits as Kavan recorded a career high in strikeouts at the Women's College World Series with 10 punch outs.

The first time that the two teams met, Kavan would only go three innings in her start. The junior would surrender three hits, a walk, and a three-run home run that put the Longhorns into a deficit they could climb back from.

"I knew that they didn't get my best game from me," Kavan said. "And so I was going to try my best to give them a better one today, and I think it worked out so well with Citlaly, and I think we complemented each other.

And while Kavan would deal from inside the circle, the Longhorns would find enough run support for her from the batter's box. The Longhorns would once again throw the first punch, breaking the scoring open in the third inning.

Finding the breakthrough against the Volunteers' ace in senior Karlyn Pickens would be junior Viviana Martinez with an RBI single. Keeping the scoring rolling would be junior Kayden Henry, who would score with a steal of home, and senior Reese Atwood added the last run to the three-spot inning with an RBI double.

The Longhorns held that 3-0 lead for the majority of the game until junior Katie Stewart added the finishing touches to the Texas scoring. The slugger would homer for the third straight game with a solo home run in the fifth inning and her 30th of the season.

Texas will now sit back and await its opponent in the championship series, taking on the winner of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Game one of the champ series is set for Wednesday, June 3, at 7:00 p.m. CT.

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