CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE - #1 UT Tyler softball is now one win away from back-to-back national championships after a 6-0 win over #2 Tampa on Tuesday.
 
The weather forecast caused the game to move up to 11 a.m., and the Patriots looked unphased to begin the game. Primrose Aholelei got the ball to start, and worked a pair of 1-2-3 innings to begin the game. She went back to work in the third, working another 1-2-3 frame that included her second strikeout of the game to begin the inning.
 
She led off the fourth with another strikeout, but a walk would spoil the perfect game effort with one out. She battled back with a lineout and a foulout to end the frame.
 
The Patriots had totaled two hits through three innings, but they found their groove in the fourth. Bailey Krolczyk led off with a single and both Sam Schott and Taryn Barney followed with walks to load the bases. Two batters later, it was Miia Campos coming up big with a double to left center field to plate two and give them a 2-0 lead.
 
Aholelei would work another 1-2-3 frame in the fifth, and JT Smith added a big insurance run with a mammoth home run to right field to make it 3-0.
 
Aholelei would see her no-hitter be broken up in the sixth, as the Spartans got a two out single, but she was unphased, ending the inning with another big strikeout to keep the threat to a minimum.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Patriots continued their gritty approach at the plate, loading the bases with two singles and a walk with one out. Ka'Lyn Watson drove in a run with an RBI groundout, and Abbie Behe kept up her big world series effort with a two RBI single to right field to make it 6-0 and put the Patriots well ahead.
 
Aholelei would trot back out for the seventh and got a strikeout and a lineout to start the inning. The Spartans would draw back-to-back walks, marking the only time that they got a runner to second base or got two runners on in the same inning. However, that threat would be silenced as Aholelei closed the game with a groundout to give the Patriots the game one win.
 
Aholelei went all seven innings for her 20^th win of the season. She allowed just one hit and three walks while striking out five of the 25 batters she faced.
 
The Patriots totaled 11 hits, as JT Smith led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included two runs, a double, and a homer. Abbie Behe and Bailey Krolczyk each added 2-for-4 days, and four other Patriots recorded at least one hit. Miia Campos led the RBI department with two, and five different Patriots recorded at least one run.
 
#1 UT Tyler is back in action tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. central time. If the Patriots win that game, they win the championship. If Tampa wins, the teams will square off in the if-necessary game beginning at approximately 4:30 p.m. central time.