Rylie West hit a three-run home run and fourth-seeded Tennessee took advantage of three errors to defeat No. 5 Alabama 10-5 on Thursday in the opener of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Zaida Puni, Jamison Brockenbrough and Katie Taylor each drove in two runs for the Lady Volunteers, who scored four unearned runs. West's three-run shot in the fourth inning gave Tennessee an insurmountable 10-2 lead.
"I honestly was trying to get a good pitch," West said. "... I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere deep in the outfield so (Brylee Mesusan) could score. So it was just a pretty simple process, and I got a good pitch, and I went for it."
Ashley Rogers gave up two runs on three hits in four innings to improve to 19-1 for Tennessee, which advanced and will play Saturday.
Kenleigh Cahalan went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Crimson Tide, who will play in an elimination game on Friday.
More must-reads: