2017 College Softball Super Regional Day 2 Recap
Day two of the 2017 NCAA DI Super Regionals are in the books. One team is through to the WCWS in UCLA who got past Ole Miss. Who will be next?
Today’s Game Schedule
- Oklahoma vs. Auburn – 1:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Florida State vs. LSU – 1:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Florida vs. Alabama – 5:00 PM ET (ESPN)
- Tennessee vs. Texas A&M – 5:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
- Oregon vs. Kentucky – 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
- Washington vs. Utah – 9:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
- Arizona vs. Baylor – 9:00 PM ET (ESPN)
Bruins are Back
Dominant pitching performances in the circle by junior Selina Ta’amilo and redshirt freshman Rachel Garcia, the Bruins scored in the first inning and the run held up, as UCLA punched its ticket to the WCWS Series with a 1-0 win over No. 12 seed Ole Miss on Friday. Ole Miss stranded seven runners total in the game.
Watch the final out from LA as the Bruins clinch their spot in the 2017 #WCWS! pic.twitter.com/iOU8DbbUkR
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 27, 2017
Gators Bite Back
The top-seeded Florida Gators secured a 2-0 victory Friday night over Alabama in Game two of their Super Regional. Amanda Lorenz’s two-run homer in the third inning was key to forcing Saturday’s 5 PM winner-take-all Game three. “We’re still the underdog,” Murphy said. “We’re the No. 16 seed and they’re the No. 1 seed, so the pressure is all on them.” Game three will be at 5:00 PM ET on ESPN.
Tennessee Explodes
Tennessee is one win away from advancing to the Women’s College World Series after an 8-1 victory over Texas A&M in the opening game of the NCAA Super Regionals Friday night. Matty Moss threw her 14th complete game of the season to improve to 26-2 on the year while Jenna Holcomb led the team offensively with a triple and two RBIs. UT set a new single-game attendance record as 2,353 fans packed into Lee Stadium to create a raucous environment. Junior shortstop Meghan Gregg broke the Tennessee single-season RBI record with a groundout in the third inning. Gregg’s 78 RBIs this year move her ahead of Kristi Durant (2005) and Bridget Jackson (1996), who were previously tied with Gregg for the record with 77.
Florida State Looks Good
Winning the first game of the NCAA Tallahassee Super Regional for the second straight season, Florida State is one game away from the 2017 WCWS after a 3-1 win over LSU (45-20) on Friday night. Seniors led the way for Florida State as Ellie Cooper and Sydney Broderick combined for four hits, including three doubles and two RBI, while pitcher Jessica Burroughs allowed just three hits in the complete-game victory. The 55 wins so far in 2017 ties a program record under head coach Lonni Alameda, matching the final total in 2014 and 2016 when the Seminoles advanced to the WCWS. Overall, it is tied for the sixth-highest win total in school history, trailing the 63 wins from 1991, 62 in 1992 and 2004 and 58 in 1995 and 2001.
Oregon Shuts out Kentucky
The Ducks grabbed a 4-0 victory Friday over the Kentucky Wildcats before 2,423 fans in Jane Sanders Stadium. “That’s the definition of scrappy for us,” Ducks head coach Mike White said. Sophomore Megan Kleist pitched what White called the “best game I’ve seen in her career.” But when she walked off the mound after a strikeout to end the top of the sixth, Oregon’s lead was just 1-0. That came thanks to the scrappy efforts of sophomore Alexis Mack, who got down a two-out bunt in the third and then stole second base (below), allowing her to score on a rocket of a single to center by Gwen Svekis.
Megan Kleist put on a pitching clinic with 8 strike outs! No big deal…🙌 #Pac12SB pic.twitter.com/9f4mDt95Lv
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 27, 2017
Washington Swings Big
The Washington Huskies got the best of Utah Friday night during game one of the NCAA Super Regionals at Husky Softball Stadium. Morganne Flores blasted two homers over left field, a three-run home run and a grand slam, totaling seven RBIs, finishing one RBI shy of tying the program’s record. Flores, Ali Aguilar, Sis Bates and Casey Stangel all reached base safely their first three times through order over the first four innings, combining for seven hits, five walks and eight runs. Taran Alvelo (31-6) tossed a complete game for the Dawgs, giving up only four hits to the Utes.
Oklahoma Handles Auburn
Paige Parker struck out 14 as she tossed a four-hit shutout and Oklahoma moved one step closer to defending their title with 4-0 win over Auburn on Friday. Game two is set for noon CT on ESPN. Parker recorded 14 strikeouts in the complete-game effort, setting an OU record for strikeouts in a Super Regional game and finishing one off her career high set earlier this year against Kansas. Sophomore Shay Knighten was 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored for the Sooners, while freshman Nicole Mendes finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles to extend her hitting streak to 21 games and her on-base streak to 35 consecutive games.
Take a look back at @OU_Softball‘s 4-0 win over Auburn in Game 1 of Supers! #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/sUziMV5ZlC
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 27, 2017
Arizona Outlasts Baylor
Arizona secured a 3-2 win over Baylor in the first game of their Super Regional.Danielle O’Toole won her 30th game of the season, giving up just six hits and walking none. Arizona posted the first run with back-to-back one-out doubles by Katiyana Mauga and Mo Mercado in the bottom of the first.With one out in the third, Mauga took a 3-1 pitch and slugged an opposite-field home run to right-center for her 25th of the year and 92nd overall, three shy of the NCAA career record.
