OKLAHOMA CITY -- Erinn Webb hit her second career grand slam and the Tennessee softball held off a late rally to beat SEC rival Georgia 7-5 on Friday night at the Women's College World Series.
The Lady Vols (49-13) never scored more than four runs in a game during three World Series trips with Monica Abbott, the NCAA's career leader wins and strikeouts. But this is a far different team.
With freshmen making up more than half the roster, Tennessee is manufacturing runs in bunches. The Lady Vols used the mercy rule in beating Arizona 9-0 in their WCWS opener, then jumped out to an early seven-run lead against the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (49-12).
Ashley Razey led Georgia's comeback bid with an RBI single in the fifth and a three-run home run off freshman pitcher Ivy Renfroe (31-4) in the seventh.
A series of wild pitches by Georgia starting pitcher Sarah McCloud (13-2) and reliever Erin Arevalo in the second inning brought in the first two runs for Tennessee. Webb broke it open in the third by smacking the first pitch from Alison Owen just over the right-field fence. Webb's only other grand slam came against Georgia in March.
Georgia will face either Missouri or Florida in an elimination game Saturday night.