No. 3/4 Softball reaches WCWS Championship Series for second straight season

Monday, June 2

Oklahoma City, OK

11 AM CT

University of Texas

54-11

Tennessee

47-17

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

No. 3/4 Softball reaches WCWS Championship Series for second straight season

06.02.2025 | Softball

Box Score

Morgan, Kavan combine to shutout a Tennessee offense that had scored 16 runs in its previous two WCWS games.

By: Chris Allen Brown

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – When getting on the bus at the team hotel prior to sixth-seeded Texas' 2-0 semifinal win over seventh-seeded Tennessee on Monday morning, senior right-handed pitcher Mac Morgan had one goal: to not allow a baserunner to reach third base against her.

Goal accomplished.

In fact, outside of a two-out double in the top of the first inning, no Volunteer baserunner reached second base during the four innings Morgan (11-4) was in the pitching circle or the final three frames that Kavan (S, 4) worked.

As a result, Texas not only eliminated the Volunteers from the eight-team Women's College World Series (WCWS), but the Longhorns also advanced to the championship series of the WCWS for the second consecutive season and third time over the last four years.

After working around a two-out double off the bat of Ella Dodge in the top of the first, Morgan and Tennessee All-American Karlyn Pickens (25-11) locked themselves into a pitcher's duel that was only broken on the third pitch of the bottom of the fourth, when Katie Stewart hit a 1-1 pitch into the air at Devon Park. Once high enough in the air, the ball continued to carry until landing just on the other side of the outstretched arm of Volunteer left fielder Alannah Leach for a home run, Stewart's 17th on the season.

The solo home run gave the Longhorns a 1-0 lead through the game's four innings and was enough for Texas head coach Mike White to bring in his ace – Teagan Kavan – following a scoreless four-inning start by Morgan, who allowed just four baserunners – three hits, one walk – to the 16 batters faced.

Kavan, just two days removed from earning the complete game victory over second-seeded Oklahoma, picked up right where she left off. The Longhorns' sophomore right-hander retired nine of the 10 batters face, with a five-pitch walk to Emma Clarke – the first batter to face Kavan – as the only blemish. She went on to throw 43 pitches to those 10 batters – all of which had first-pitch strikes thrown against them – and did not allow a hit or run against her.

While Kavan was dealing late in the game, Texas picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Joley Mitchell scored from second base on a throwing error by Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell while attempting to throw out Victoria Hunter a first base. Pannell's throw sailed over the head of Volunteer first baseman McKenna Gibson and into the camera well, which allowed Mitchell to reach home.

GAME NOTES

Katie Stewart's fourth inning solo home run was the sixth leadoff home run by a team at the 2025 WCWS.
- The Longhorns have connected for four of those six long balls.
With her two hits throughout Monday's contest, Katie Stewart now has nine hits during her two WCWS appearances (2024, 2025).
- Stewart's nine career hits at the WCWS are now the third most by a Longhorn softball student-athlete behind Mia Scott's 19 and Bella Dayton's 10.
Texas has now won three consecutive games over the seventh-seeded team at the WCWS dating back to the 2022 campaign, when the Longhorns beat then-No. 7 Oklahoma State, 5-0 and 6-5, in back-to-back games to advance to the championship series.
By shutting the door on Tennessee's offense over the game's final three innings, Teagan Kavan earned her eighth career save, which is a new program record.
- Kavan broke a four-way tie with Citlaly Gutierrez (2023-P), Blaire Luna (2010-13) and Erin Treselt (2007-10).
Throughout her four innings of work on Monday, Mac Morgan tied a season high with four strikeouts.
- Morgan has now struck out four batters in a game on five different occasions this season with the most recent – prior to Monday's game – happening on April 9, when she struck out four Texas State Bobcats in five innings of work.

UP NEXT

With the victory on Monday, Texas (54-11) advanced into the championship series of the Women's College World Series for the second consecutive season and third time over the last four years.
- It marks the first time in program history the Longhorns have played for a national championship in back-to-back seasons.

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