Arizona wins 1-0 in 10 innings, forces decisive Game 3 against Tennessee

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Pinch-runner Danielle Rodriguez beat the throw home on Adrienne Acton's groundout in the 10th inning as Arizona beat Tennessee 1-0 Tuesday night, extending the Women's College World Series to a decisive third game.

Sam Banister started Arizona's rally with single to left field and moved to second on a sacrifice before an error by Tennessee second baseman Kenora Posey allowed Callista Balko to reach base and Rodriguez, who pinch ran for Banister, to get to third.

Acton then slapped a grounder to shortstop Liane Horiuchi, and she fired home. Acton slid and dropped her left hand toward the tip of the plate. Lady Vols catcher Shannon Doepking was unable to tag Rodriguez before Rodriguez swept her hand down to break Monica Abbott's 43-inning scoreless streak in the postseason.

Arizona starter Taryne Mowatt (41-12) found her way out of one jam after another to keep the defending champions alive until they could score off Abbott, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Mowatt stranded 14 Tennessee runners, pitching out of a bases-loaded situation with nobody out in the fifth. and preventing the Lady Vols (63-7) from scoring after putting the potential winning run in scoring position in the ninth.

Her teammates huddled around her along the first-base line after she got Horiuchi to ground out to end the game.

Game 3 of the championship series is tonight.

Abbott (50-4), who holds the NCAA records for wins, shutouts and strikeouts, fanned 11 to break the record for strikeouts in a World Series set by Alicia Hollowell in Arizona's run to the title last year. She hadn't allowed a run through her first 38 innings at the World Series, throwing four straight shutouts and then keeping Arizona scoreless through the first three extra innings.

-- AP