ABC's telecast of Tennessee's Women's College World Series game against Texas Tech went dark in the top of the second inning and did not return until the final out of the third.
A power outage at Devon Park caused the technical failure, and viewers were switched to "Squeeze Play" whip-around coverage of NCAA baseball regionals during the interruption.
The outage erased key live action, including Karlyn Pickens retiring Texas Tech in order, Emma Clarke's diving catch in the third, and Tennessee loading the bases before a popup ended the inning.
The May 30 game carried semifinal stakes: No. 7 Tennessee entered at 48-10 against No. 11 Texas Tech at 58-7, with the loser dropping into a May 31 elimination game against UCLA.
With million-dollar players on the field, why did a simple power outage black out the Women's College World Series broadcast?
Will the new $25M facility at Devon Park guarantee championship broadcasts will never be interrupted by a power failure again?
As streaming issues frustrate fans, are technical failures now an expected part of watching major live sports?