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Knoxville, Tenn • Before the Utah softball team took the field Saturday, Utes coach Amy Hogue told her players they would have to earn their way to Sunday.

She repeated the message after a disheartening loss to the University of Tennessee moved her team into Saturday evening's elimination game against Longwood.

Her team responded.

"We earned Sunday,'" Hogue said. "That's what we've been talking about since we got here. That was hard. It's so hard to win games in this tournament. But these guys gut it out."

The Utes (36-18) avoided elimination with a 2-0 win over Longwood (34-25) in Saturday's nightcap at Lee Stadium. Their prize is another shot at Tennessee (44-14) in a 1:30 p.m MDT regional final game on Sunday.

Utah took a 1-0 lead over Longwood in the top of the second. Catcher Shelby Pachecho singled to center, scoring shortstop Anissa Urtez, who singled to right, then stole second.

A bit of drama ensued in the bottom of the fourth, when Longwood center fielder Glenn Walters attempted to score from second on second baseman Carly Adam's single to right. Pachecho missed the initial tag, spun and got Walters on the second attempt. The collision resulted in a knee injury that removed Walters from the game.

"Glenn should have known from the beginning that she should have been sliding," Longwood coach Kathy Riley said. "But, I couldn't really tell anything about if the catcher got the tag on her, or not."

Said Pachecho: "I knew I didn't get her the first time. I just followed her. I did a 180, I think. Maybe two of them. It was a great throw by [second baseman] Hannah Flippen, right to me."

Utes pinch-hitter Mariah Ramirez added an insurance run in the sixth inning, singling up the middle to score third baseman Kristen Stewart.

Utah starting pitcher Sammy Cordova (4-0) surrendered one hit through four innings and got the win. Longwood's Elizabith McCarthy took the loss. Katie Donovan replaced Cordova and didn't surrender a hit through the final three innings as she secured a save.

Donovan's relief performance was a drastic difference from her first outing of the day. The Lady Vols beat the Utes 9-1 in five innings, thanks to back-to-back three-run innings.

Tennessee third baseman Lexi Overstreet, who also hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, ended the game on an RBI double to center that invoked the mercy rule.

Donovan (17-9) surrendered six runs on seven hits and walked three of the 19 batters she faced. Tennessee totaled 10 hits altogether.

Utah shook it off.

"In the locker room, we were like, 'Don't bring anything from that game to this game,'" Pachecho said. "The whole team left it behind us, and came out strong."

The Utes are 1-1 against Tennessee this season. They won a Feb. 21 meeting at a tournament in California. They will need to earn the tiebreaker to keep their postseason hopes alive.

"We haven't played our best game yet, since we got here," Hogue said. "We are settled in now. It's go time tomorrow." —

Storylines

• Utah's 9-1 loss to Tennessee moves the Utes to the brink of elimination.

• The Utes' 2-0 defeat of Longwood on Saturday night kept postseason hopes alive.

• Utah will meet Tennessee again in regional final game Sunday afternoon.