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Lawrie (40-4) took a three-run lead in the first inning but struggled against the Bulldogs (49-11) for the second straight year at the World Series. The only loss for Lawrie and the Huskies at last year’s event was a 9-8, extra-inning decision against Georgia.
Wiggins had an RBI single as Georgia scored twice in the fifth to tie it, then she hammered a 2-1 pitch from Lawrie over the center-field fence to put the Bulldogs ahead in the sixth.
Washington (50-8) also lost its super regional opener before Lawrie pitched back-to-back shutouts to put the Huskies back in the World Series.
Tennessee 9, Arizona 0 (5 innings): Ivy Renfroe struck out six in a spotless World Series debut, Erinn Webb and Jessica Spigner had two-run doubles and Tennessee took advantage of a wild outing by Arizona starter Kenzie Fowler.
Fowler (34-7) walked eight in three-plus innings marred by eight illegal pitches, including a pair of balks that brought in runs for the 15th-seeded Lady Vols (48-13).
Webb’s double to right-center was the only hit in a four-run third inning for Tennessee, which tacked on three more runs in the fourth. Spigner’s two-run double made it 9-0 and put the Lady Vols in position to stop the game after five innings because of the mercy rule.
It was the second straight mercy rule defeat at the World Series for eight-time national champion Arizona (48-12), which was eliminated in a 14-0 loss to Alabama last year.
Renfroe (30-4) allowed only three singles to an Arizona offense averaging 7.5 runs.
After the game, Arizona coach Mike Candrea, who has won eight national championships, blasted the umpires over the illegal pitches.
Candrea, who also has coached the U.S. to Olympic gold and silver medals, lashed out at third base umpire John Kurnat for taking over the game with a series of calls against Fowler.
“It’s just frustrating. I always think of a good official as someone that you don’t even know is there,” Candrea said. “Unfortunately, the officials were way too involved in this game at the early part of it.
“I just blame — and I’m going to say it — I blame that we as coaches have given the officials way too much power in our own game and not even know what … they’re doing.”
Candrea claimed Fowler hadn’t been called all season for the type of illegal delivery that Kurnat was noticing.
UCLA 16, Florida 3 (6 innings): Andrea Harrison homered twice and drove in six runs, Megan Langenfeld went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI, and UCLA broke the WCWS record for runs in a game.
Harrison hit three-run homers in the first and sixth innings as the Bruins (46-11) surpassed Alabama’s World Series record of 14 runs scored in a shutout against Arizona last year.
Hawaii 3, Missouri 2: Hawaii added another milestone to its long and unexpected journey as Traci Yoshikawa hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Alexandra Aguirre also homered to lead the Rainbow Wahine (50-14), the lowest seed still alive.
