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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 2:42 p.m., Saturday, May 26, 2007

Tennessee ends Rainbow Wahine's NCAA run, 7-1

Advertiser Staff

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee ended Hawai'i's run in the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament today with a 7-1 victory to earn its third consecutive trip to the Women's College World Series.

The Rainbow Wahine (50-13) beat the Lady Vols, 9-6, earlier today to force a decisive game in the best-of-three Super Regional series.

The Lady Vols (59-6) rallied from a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth inning. Monica Abbott (46-4) won her second game of the series, allowing six hits, striking out nine and walking none.

Brandi Peiler hit a home run to center field off Abbott with one out in the second inning to give Hawai'i a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Vols rallied for three runs in the fourth inning against Hawai'i starter Courtney Baughman (5-2). Lillian Hammond singled to shortstop and was sacrificed to second by Tiffany Huff. Hammond scored on a single up the middle by Tonya Callahan to tie the game at 1. After Shannon Doepking flied out, Alexia Clay singled to left field and Callahan went to second. Erinn Webb then hit a double to left to score Clay and Callahan for a 3-1 lead. Kate Robinson replaced Baughman and struck out Liane Horiuchi to end the inning.

Tennessee added four runs off Robinson on an RBI double by Huff, a two-run single by Callahan and an RBI single by Clay.

The Women's College World Series is May 31 to June 6 at Oklahoma City, Okla.