Story by
Video shows exchange between Tennessee's Karen Weekly, TTU's Taylor Pannell: What happened?
- Story by
- Video shows exchange between Tennessee's Karen Weekly, TTU's Taylor Pannell: What happened?
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additionall information.
There was little margin for error in Tennessee and Texas Tech's Women's College World Series matchup Saturday, May 30 in Oklahoma City, as the game stretched into extra innings before the Lady Vols emerged with a 2-1 win on Emma Clarke's walk-off home run in the ninth.
Advertisement
The SEC–Big 12 showdown, however, has been partially overshadowed by a postgame handshake-line dispute involving Tennessee coach Karen Weekly and former Lady Vol turned Texas Tech third baseman Taylor Pannell.
In a phone conversation with Cora Hall of the Knoxville New Sentinel — part of the USA TODAY Network — Weekly denied Pannell's side of the story after Pannel alleged that her former coach didn't say "good game" and instead told her that she made a mistake in the game. Weekly even went as far as saying Pannel's side of the story is "an outright lie."
Texas Tech vs Tennessee softball score: Emma Clarke walks off Red Raiders in extra innings
"If you rewatch at the tape of the handshake line, you're going to see me go just as fast by her as anybody else," Weekly told Hall . "I didn't even know where she was in the handshake line … that's an outright lie. I said good game like I said to every other player."
Advertisement
Indeed, video evidence shows Weekly said, "Good game" as she walked by Pannell. Later footage seems to show Pannell reacted to something as she walked through the handshake line, but it's uncertain who she was responding to, or what was said.
Weekly also denied Pannell's side of the story in her own postgame news conference at Devon Park.
"Good game, like I say to every player. Good game," Weekly told the media when asked what she said to Pannell postgame.
Pannell, who transferred to Texas Tech this past offseason, told a different side of the story in the Red Raiders' postgame news conference.
Advertisement
"We were walking through the line, just saying 'good game,' and she (Weekly) said that I made a mistake instead of good game, which, it's kind of crazy," Pannell said. "Like celebrate with the team, and I just think it's funny she's still thinking about it, but it's old news, whatever."
The former Lady Vols third baseman went 1-for-4 in Texas Tech's loss, with her lone hit coming in the top of the seventh inning. She'd eventually score the game-tying run for the Red Raiders that inning on a sacrifice fly from Desirae Spearman on a play at the plate that was initially called out but overturned after a challenge from Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco.
With Clarke's walk-off home run, Tennessee advances to the semifinals of the WCWS for the second consecutive season. Tennessee will play the winner of Sunday's double-elimination game between No. 2 Texas and the loser of No. 1 Alabama/No. 4 Nebraska at noon ET on Monday, June 1.
Advertisement
With its loss, Texas Tech has a quick turnaround and will play No. 8 UCLA at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 31 in a double-elimination game. The Red Raiders are looking to become the lowest-seeded team to win the WCWS in tournament history as the 11th-seed in the bracket.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast . Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tennessee's Karen Weekly says Taylor Pannell lied about WCWS handshake
