Rylie West breaks down what she saw in her home run vs. Alabama
The game was over in the fourth inning. With two runners on, Tennessee catcher Rylie West drilled a bomb over the left field fence to give the Volunteers an eight-run lead. When the ball hit the ground, the nail went in the Crimson Tide’s coffin.
The nail held extra weight considering who delivered it. Before Tennessee’s 10-5 win over Alabama in the Women’s College World Series on Thursday, West only had four home runs this season. Nonetheless, the junior talent stepped up when her team need it most.
“I honestly was just trying to get a good pitch and I told Karen [Weekly] before my at-bat that, ‘I’m just going to put the ball in the outfield because Riley is on third and she’s really fast,'” West said during the postgame press conference.
West’s teammate didn’t have to use her wheels. The crew trotted around the bases before celebrating in the dugout by throwing fake money at West. Despite the flashy celebration, West remained humble when asked about the big hit.
“It was just a pretty simple process and I got a good pitch, and I went for it.”
Hits like that are what put Tennessee in its current position. The Volunteers are on a nine-game winning streak and won the SEC Tournament just over two weeks ago. Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly couldn’t be happier.
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“This time of year that’s what it’s all about,” Weekly said. “I’m really proud of our team for how we were just tough the whole game and just kept our foot on the pedal.”
Tennessee won’t have long to celebrate its win. Next, the Volunteers will face off against No. 1 seed Oklahoma. The Sooners have won 49 games in a row, an NCAA Division I Softball record. The two programs have not yet met this season.
Weekly respects the Sooners but is eager to battle.
“They’re loaded. They’re just absolutely loaded. It will be a great game, and I’m excited for our team to have an opportunity to play that game,” Weekly said.
Tennessee will square off against Oklahoma at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ABC.