OKLAHOMA CITY — Kathryn Sandercock and Makenna Reid combined for five innings of scoreless relief to help No. 3 seed Florida State defeat No. 4 Tennessee 5-1 on Monday night and advance to the Women's College World Series championship series.
Sandercock, the Seminoles' veteran ace, allowed one hit and struck out four in three innings to claim her 10th save of the year. Freshman Reid gave way to Sandercock after allowing one hit in two innings. She claimed the win to improve to 13-0 this season.
Florida State (58-9) will play No. 1 seed Oklahoma (59-1) in a best-of-three series for the national title starting Wednesday. It's a rematch of the 2021 series that Oklahoma won.
Oklahoma looks to become the first program since UCLA from 1988 to 1990 to win three straight national championships. The Sooners have won four of the past six titles.
Tennessee's Zaida Puni hit a solo shot off Mack Leonard in the first to open the scoring. It was her sixth NCAA tournament home run in nine games.
Florida State's Michaela Edenfield answered with a solo home run in the second. Bethaney Keen's first homer of the season pushed the Seminoles' lead to 2-1 in the third and Jahni Kerr's RBI single in the fifth pushed Florida State's lead to 3-1.
Tennessee starter Payton Gottshall took the loss. Lady Vols ace Ashley Rogers entered the game in the fifth, but Hallie Wacaser's two-run shot off her in the sixth made it 5-1. It was Wacaser's fourth homer of the year.