Damn the rain! Full speed ahead!

Yes, I know rain is good, but still, just this once ... a huge rain delay meant the UT-ArizonaWomen's College World Series game didn't start till 11:35 Central... and as you see I have to be up a little too early to watch a game that starts that late. But it was the kind of game I love - a real pitchers' duel. I'll let some uncredited writer from NCAA Sports.com give us the highlights:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On a cool 69-degree Friday night in front of the second largest session attendance in Women’s College World Series history (7,744 fans) at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, No. 1 Tennessee (61-6) scratched out a run in the bottom of the sixth to back a complete game shutout by senior pitcher Monica Abbott as the Lady Vols downed No. 4 Arizona, 1-0, to improve to 2-0 and move within one victory of making the best-of-three WCWS Championship Series. UT has now won three of its last four games against the Wildcats (all by 1-0 scores in Oklahoma City) and nine of its last 11 games versus the powerful Pac-10 Conference.

...The Big Orange have earned a well-deserved off-day on Saturday to rest before resuming action on Sunday, June 3, against either Northwestern (1-1), Texas A&M (0-1) or Baylor (0-1) at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN HD. The latter two squads will contest an elimination game on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, before advancing on to face Northwestern at 9 p.m. ET for the berth opposite the Lady Vols in the semifinals. Whichever team advances to face UT would be forced to defeat Tennessee twice on Sunday to reach the championship series.

Senior Monica Abbott permitted six hits against a rugged Arizona (45-13-1) line-up and walked three, but countered that by striking out 16 hitters while managing to escape two bases-loaded jams in recording her 27th solo shutout of 2007. The Salinas, Calif., native now sits just three K’s from becoming the first pitcher in NCAA history to achieve 2,400 career strikeouts.

The Orange & White offense managed just two hits, both by the incomparable senior India Chiles, but took advantage of a crucial fielding error on the Wildcats in the bottom of the sixth to plate the game’s lone run.

“Well this is where you want to be, and it really does not matter how you get there,” Lady Vol co-head coach Karen Weekly said. “Arizona is a very tough team and they played a fantastic game. Taryne Mowatt pitched a great, great game. You had two pitchers out there battling, battling and battling, and I can not say enough about Monica Abbott keeping us in the game and getting out of jams and putting us on her back tonight.”

...Abbott had retired eight in a row with six strikeouts before Fox singled to center field with one out in the top of the sixth. On a perfectly executed hit-and-run play, Leles ripped an offering through the right side of the infield allowing Fox to race all the way to third. The Tennessee coaching staff decided to intentionally walk Balko to load the bases and set up the force situation at every base. UT’s pitcher managed to coax an infield pop-up that Posey squeezed for a very important second out. Teetering on the edge of disaster once again, Abbott struck out Banister to escape the bases-loaded situation for the third time in the WCWS and for the second time in the game against U of A.

Facing a 3-2 count to open the bottom of the sixth, Horiuchi managed to lay-off a tough rise ball from Mowatt to post a huge lead-off walk. Posey attempted to get the sacrifice bunt down, but failed and went down swinging to become the first retirement of the inning. Schutzler coaxed a free pass to place two on with Tennessee’s super-tough Chiles coming to the dish with a chance to re-enact her heroics of Thursday against No. 7 Texas A&M. She came through in the clutch situation by lacing a bouncing single up the middle. Unfortunately for the Orange & White, Arizona’s All-American center fielder Lowe corralled the ball on the run, came up throwing and managed to cut down Horiuchi at the plate to prevent the first run of the game from scoring. With two outs in the frame and runners residing at second and third, Huff grounded a routine ball to second base that Mesa bobbled for an error allowing Schutzler to race home for a 1-0 Lady Vol advantage. Callahan struck out to end the frame, but the fielding miscue brought Tennessee within three outs of moving to a perfect 2-0 in the winner’s bracket at the WCWS for the first time in program history.

Down to their final chance in regulation, Arredondo started off the top of the seventh by becoming Abbott’s 15th strikeout victim of the contest. Acton dropped a slow roller up the third base line that Callahan was forced to rush while attempting to make a play. Her throw drifted wide of the bag, but would have been late anyway as Acton was awarded a single to grant UA a glimmer of hope. Lowe came to the plate with a chance to register a clutch hit but lined out to Horiuchi at short. Acton managed to steal second, but the advance amounted to little as Abbott struck out Mesa swinging to secure the contest and give Tennessee Saturday off to rest.