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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Riley Valentine hit a first-inning grand slam, Jocelyn Briski took a two-hitter into the seventh inning and 14th-seeded Alabama upended No. 3 seed Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional, earning the Crimson Tide a spot in the Women's College World Series. Volunteers starter Payton Gottshall (20-5) struck out the first two batters she faced before Kenleigh Cahalan singled to left. Gottshall hit Jenna Johnson and Marlie Giles on back-to-back pitches to load the bases. Valentine sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field for a 4-0 lead. It was only the fourth home run for the .216 hitter who had 15 RBIs in 41 games. That was plenty for Briski (10-5), a freshman, who allowed a double, a single and a walk with four strikeouts through six innings.
