In Saturday\u2019s action at the Women\u2019s College World Series, No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 11 Texas Tech 2-1 on a walk-off home run by Emma Clarke.<\/p>\n
The Volunteers advanced to Monday\u2019s semifinal round while the Red Raiders play an elimination game against No. 18 UCLA on Sunday night. However, Tennessee coach Karen Weekly and Texas Tech third baseman Taylor Pannell didn\u2019t move past their game on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
Following the game, Pannell \u2014 who transferred from Tennessee to Texas Tech after last season \u2014 claimed that Weekly told her that she made a mistake by leaving Knoxville in the postgame handshake line.<\/p>\n
“We were walking through the line just saying ‘good game,’ and she said that I made a mistake instead of saying ‘good game,’ which is kind of crazy,” Pannell told reporters, including the Knoxville News Sentinel\u2019s Cora Hall<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Like, celebrate with your team. I just think it’s funny she’s still thinking about it,\u201d she added. \u201cIt’s old news. Whatever.”<\/p>\n When informed of Pannell\u2019s accusations, Weekly told Hall that the claim was \u201can outright lie.\u201d<\/p>\n “If you rewatch at the tape of the handshake line, you\u2019re going to see me go just as fast by her as anybody else,” Weekly said, via the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I didn\u2019t even know where she was in the handshake line.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s an outright lie,\u201d she continued. \u201cI said good game, like I said to every other player.”<\/p>\n Play 2026 Soccer Pick ‘Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world’s biggest soccer tournament<\/a><\/p>\n Pannell played three seasons<\/a> for Weekly at Tennessee. Last year, as a junior, she hit 16 home runs with 65 RBI and a slash average of .398\/.493\/.747 in 64 games. She entered the transfer portal on June 12 and announced that she was transferring to Texas Tech on the same day, which prompted allegations of tampering from Weekly.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “I think we can all agree on 2 things: 1) women making money in sports is awesome and long overdue,\u201d Weekly wrote on June 13<\/a>. \u201c2) contacting players [directly or indirectly] before their season ends and signing them to NIL deals before they enter the portal is wrong. Money isn\u2019t the issue \u2014 tampering is!”<\/p>\n The Tennessee coach did not directly single out Pannell, Texas Tech or Red Raiders coach Gerry Glasco in a social media post. However, Weekly spoke more directly<\/a> on the matter to The Athletic before the NCAA softball tournament began.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no question they were in contact with our player long before the season was over,\u201d Weekly said to The Athletic\u2019s Lindsay Schnell<\/a>. \u201cA financial agreement was signed with Texas Tech before she ever went in the portal. [She] told me that.\u201d<\/p>\n