10 Things You May Have Missed in College Softball This Weekend
The 2017 NCAA College Softball season is in full swing. This past weekend was full of team sweeps and stand-out performances all across the country. Here are ten things that stood out to us at Fastpitch News.
Murray State’s Mason Robinson tossed the first perfect game in program history on Sunday, as the Racer softball team topped Belmont 8-0 in six innings on Senior Day at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed to a date and time to be announced later due to rain. Robinson retired each of the 18 batters she faced in the game and finished the six-inning contest with a strikeout. She also helped out her own cause in the field by assisting on five putouts. Robinson’s feat Sunday marks the first perfect game in MSU history and is only the third no-hitter since the program’s inception in 2010. In addition, the win in the game gave Robinson 20 on the year, tying her with CheyAnne Gaskey from 2015 for most wins in a season. Murray State returns to OVC action Tuesday when its hosts a doubleheader with Tennessee State at 4 p.m.
Robinson Perfect In Senior Day Win https://t.co/NdvnjsgjLm
— Racer Softball (@RacersSoftball) April 23, 2017
Florida State earned their fifth-straight ACC regular season championship with a sweep of Louisville in Sunday’s doubleheader. he Noles earned an 11-0 win in five innings in game one, while it took 10 innings before FSU pulled out a 4-3 win in game two. The win in game one of the doubleheader clinched the 2017 ACC regular season championship for the Seminoles, marking the fifth consecutive season, and 15th overall, that Florida State has ended the year with the best record in ACC play. “It is a goal of ours every year to win every conference series and make our adjustments throughout the three games,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “Really proud of the girls, and even though this is a different team, it says a lot about your program when you can have that kind of sustained success throughout the season and build on it every year. The Noles and Cardinals will close out the series on Monday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m., with a game that will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
The Minnesota Gophers topped Iowa 3-0 in front of a Jane Sage Cowles record-breaking crowd of 1,383 fans. Gopher Senior pitcher Sara Groenewegen had one of her most impressive weeks in the circle ever with two wins against Iowa and one against Wisconsin. She went 3-0 and had 35 strikeouts while only walking two batters and not allowing a run. She is now 22-2 on the season with a 0.52 ERA and has pitched 15 complete games. The Maroon and Gold had seven hits on the day with sophomore Maddie Houlihan and freshman MaKenna Partain each notching two. Eight different Gophers are hitting above .300 and four are hitting above .380 on the season. After the weekend sweep the Gophers are 43-3 overall and 16-1 in the Big Ten. They have won 14 games in a row which is the fourth longest win streak in program history. The Gophers have won 15 games in a row twice and earlier this season had a record long 19 game winning streak. The Gophers return to action at home this Wednesday for a doubleheader against North Dakota State with first pitch set for 4 p.m.
Florida shut out Ole Miss for the third consecutive game in a 5-0 decision to complete the series sweep at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Sunday. It’s the first time the Gators have shut out the Rebels in a three-game series since the 2009 season. Florida (44-3, 18-2 SEC) returned with sophomore Kelly Barnhill (20-0) in the circle in the final game and she hurled five innings before being relieved by junior standout Aleshia Ocasio for the final two innings of play. Barnhill struck out nine Rebels and issued only one walk with a pair of scattered hits on 73 pitches. Ocasio capped the game with three strikeouts, one walk and one hit. With Sunday’s shutout win, the Gators pitching staff now has a combined 14 shutouts over Top 25 competition this season. Next up for Florida is a SEC series in Knoxville against the University of Tennessee for its final SEC series of the 2017 regular season. The first game is set for Friday, April 28 at 6 p.m.
Texas A&M completed the series sweep after shutting out Georgia, 2-0, in the Sunday afternoon finale at the Aggie Softball Complex. The Aggies (40-5, 14-3 SEC) and Bulldogs (30-18, 3-15 SEC) remained scoreless for the first three and a half innings, but A&M ended the drought after pushing two runs across in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lexi Smith (11-0) continued her perfect record from the circle after tossing a complete game, while striking out two and walking three. Kylie Bass (6-2) was loaded with the loss in her 6.0 inning appearance. The Bulldog struck out three, walked two, and gave up two runs off of five hits. Texas A&M eclipsed the 40-win mark for the sixth time in eight years and the 11th time under head coach Jo Evans. The Aggies return to action on Friday with a three-game series as they travel to Lexington, Ky., to take on the Kentucky Wildcats.
Hear from @Coach_Jo_Evans after Sunday's win: #12thMan pic.twitter.com/LXx6lr2nTd
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) April 23, 2017
The Utah Softball team found a way to seal its series with No. 23 Arizona State this afternoon. Gutsy efforts in the circle combined with Bridget Castro’s seventh-inning solo shot gave the Utes a 2-1 victory. With the score tied and the bats held in check by ASU’s Alyssa Loza, Castro smacked her first homer of the season to give the Utes a much-needed jolt. It was the 16th of the senior’s career. “We talk about having fun and setting goals for ourselves,” Castro said. “We’ve been going up since my freshmen year and we just want to win for each other. We came in here knowing it would be a battle and it didn’t matter how it happened as long as we won.”The Utes will host Weber State on Wednesday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium with first pitch slated for 5 p.m.
Oklahoma (41-8, 11-1 Big 12) earned a split with a 6-0 shutout in game two of the Sunday doubleheader, to win the series over Baylor (36-9, 9-3). Oklahoma remains undefeated in its last 41 Big 12 series, going 37-0-4 in the process. The next closest team is Oklahoma State at 4-0-0. The Sooners closed the weekend in a tie for first place in the Big 12 with OSU at 11-1, while Baylor is two games back at 9-3 and Texas is a distant fourth at 4-8. Paige Parker tossed a five-hit shutout for the Sooners, who have won 13 straight series from the Lady Bears since 2004, going 9-0-4 in that span. The shutout was the third of the season for Parker as she improved to 16-5. She struck out nine and walked two. It was also the 26th shutout of her career and 67th complete game, tying former Sooner Lana Moran (’97-00) for seventh in OU history in both categories. On the weekend, Parker did not allow a run in 13.1 innings against Baylor. She struck out 15 and walked four while giving up eight hits in two starts. The Sooners head to Texas Tech this weekend with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.
The University of Michigan softball team claimed its sixth straight Big Ten Conference series and its second straight run-rule decision, beating Wisconsin, 8-0, in five innings on Sunday afternoon in front of a record crowd of 2,297 fans at the Badgers’ Goodman Diamond. Michigan scored in three of five innings in the abbreviated game, plating three in the first to earn a lead it did not relinquish. Junior first baseman Tera Blanco provided the early advantage with a three-run home run, while sophomore catcher Katie Alexander posted a double, a triple and two RBI. Senior pitcher Megan Betsa (19-7) earned her 10th complete-game shutout of the season, striking out 10 Badger batters — her sixth straight game with double-digit strikeouts while scattering three hits and two walks. The Wolverines (34-10-1, 14-2 Big Ten) will host their final Big Ten home series next weekend, welcoming Indiana for a three-game set at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The series kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28th.
The University of Pittsburgh softball team defeated NC State, 4-3, Sunday, April 23 at Vartabedian Field after the Panthers captured game three of the series in thrilling fashion with a walk-off home run from Kaitlyn Kruger in the bottom of the ninth. The Panthers took two of three from NC State, improving to 23-21 overall and 6-15 in ACC play, while the Wolfpack drops to 16-31 and 9-9 in conference action. Pitt entered the seventh inning trailing 3-0 before a pair of home runs from McKayla Taylor and Erin Hershman tied the game. After a scoreless eighth, Kruger’s first career home run pushed the Panthers past the Wolfpack.
The University of Arkansas softball team trailed by one after five innings and scored runs in the sixth and seventh to rally past Mississippi State, 5-4, to even the series. Tori Cooper drove in the game-winning run with a RBI groundout in the final frame and Autumn Storms worked the final 1.1 innings to collect her 14th win in the circle. Arkansas improves to 28-17 overall with a 6-14 mark in SEC play. A.J. Belans and Loren Krzysko each had two hits Sunday evening including Belans’ seventh home run of the year. Arkansas’ relief trio of Storms, Katie Warrick and Grace Moll held Mississippi State (33-15, 7-10 SEC) scoreless with just five hits over the final 6.0 innings of the game. Sunday’s win was the team’s fifth when trailing or being tied after six innings. Monday’s series finale is scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Nusz Park in Starkville.
