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Three SEC teams advanced to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Softball tournament on Sunday. The Tennessee Lady Vols took down Indiana in strong fashion to advance and will host Texas, next. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama competed in a nail biter against Middle Tennessee but came out victorious. The third team to punch their ticket to the Super Regional is the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia dominated Virginia Tech and they’ll head to Tallahassee to play Florida State on Thursday.
Lady Vols Feeling Super
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 4, secured a spot in the Super Regional by defeating Indiana 7-3 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. The victory sends Tennessee to its first Super Regional since 2019 and marks their first time hosting since 2017. Junior Zaida Puni’s hit two home runs during the regional to lead Tennessee to the next round.
Payton Gottshall took the mound for the Lady Vols. She pitched five shutout innings and dominated with solid defensive play behind her. Tennessee will will face No. 13 Texas in the Super. The winner of the Knoxville Super Regional will move on the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma.
☑️ Knoxville Regional #GoLadyVols pic.twitter.com/Q7uwfgQp38
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) May 22, 2023
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama and Middle Tennessee faced off in a decisive Game 7 on Sunday. The game remained scoreless until the top of the seventh inning when Alabama’s fifth-year senior Ally Shipman hit a go-ahead home run, leading to a 1-0 victory for the Tide.
This marks Alabama’s 18th appearance in a Super Regional and the 13th time they will serve as a host. Shipman’s home run was her second of the weekend, and pitcher Jaala Torrence delivered an outstanding performance throughout the regional.
Alabama, the No. 5 overall seed, will now host the Super Regionals in Tuscaloosa against No. 12 seed Northwestern.
https://twitter.com/AlabamaSB/status/1660677026615795712
Georgia Bulldogs
No. 14 Georgia defeated Virginia Tech 12-3 in six innings, allowing the team to advance. With the win, Georgia improves to 42-13 on the season and secures their 12th Super Regional appearance in program history.
Junior Sydney Chambley led the offensive charge with four hits, two home runs and five RBIs. Pitcher Shelby Walters threw a complete game, allowing three runs on five hits. Georgia dominated early, scoring five runs in the first inning. The team added more throughout the game to secure the victory.
The fourth-ranked Bulldogs will take on No. 3 Florida State on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/UGASoftball/status/1660688755001262080
