To keep any jitters from creeping in, she tried to maintain her normal routine through pregame batting practice — when she first learned she'd be in the starting lineup — and take a steady rhythm into the game.

In her first time at the plate, Clay powered a solo home run that sent Tennessee on its way to a 3-0 win against defending champion Arizona in the opening game of the Women's College World Series finals tonight.

"Surprisingly I was really relaxed," said Clay, who'd grounded out to the pitcher in her only previous at-bat in the World Series. "I was surprised how relaxed I was."

Clay's second-inning home run to left-center field against Taryne Mowatt (40-12) put the Lady Vols ahead 1-0, and Monica Abbott made the lead stand up with her fourth straight shutout as Tennessee moved within one victory of its first national championship. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Tuesday night.

Shannon Doepking added a solo home run of her own in the fourth inning, and Southeastern Conference player of the year India Chiles had an RBI single in her first pinch-hitting chance of the season for Tennessee (63-6).

Abbott (50-3) tied the school record for wins in a season that she set in 2005 and extended her shutout streak to 33 2-3 innings.

"We've just seen a different kind of side to Monica right now. She's just really on," Clay said. "Her change-up, her rise ball, everything's working for her.

"She's throwing really good and really hard and trying to really keep batters off-balance, and she's doing a good job."

Abbott, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, also shut out the Wildcats 1-0 in the preliminary rounds on Friday. Arizona coach Mike Candrea said his hitters need to do a better job of putting the ball in play against the NCAA's career leader in wins, strikeouts and shutouts.

Abbott beat Hawaii twice in the Super Regional, allowing the Volunteers to advance to World Series. Hawaii did knock her out of the game in the second game of the series, a game in which UH won to force a third game in the best-of-three Super Regional. Abbott then beat UH in the third game.