10 Things you may have missed over the weekend in College Softball
This weekend delivered a few sweeps and a few upsets. It set records for coaches and for programs. Depending on how you look at it, the weekend could still run until tomorrow with Game 3’s in Utah (Oregon) and Florida (Auburn). But, just as we do every week, here are 10 things that you may have missed.
Hofstra beats Good
The story all season has been the dominance of James Madison’s Megan Good. The junior pitcher hit a small speed bump with the Pride Sunday, suffering her first loss of the season. The loss also snapped JMU’s 11-game win streak and fell to 26-3 overall, 2-1 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Good gave up six hits, five runs, one earned in five innings. The Dukes committed three errors in the contest that led to a four-run third for Hofstra.
Candrea wins 1,500
Arizona head coach Mike Candrea became the second coach to reach 1,500 wins in Division I softball and the first where all 1,500 occurred at the DI level. The Wildcats defeated the Washington Huskies 5-2 to complete the sweep of their Pac-12 foe. It was the first three-game sweep of a Top 10 team since 2010. Danielle O’Toole lowered her ERA to 0.69 and improved to 16-1.
You Betsa!
Michigan senior Megan Betsa pitched her second no-hitter in nine days as the Wolverines beat Penn State 17-0 in five innings. Betsa faced three over the minimum and was a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a dropped third strike shy of perfection. It was her fifth career no-no and second in five appearances. It was also her fourth consecutive complete-game shutout.
Game changing Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks rolled into Tuscaloosa and did something no team has done in the history of Alabama softball. They beat the Crimson Tide 14-0 and set the record for most runs an opponent has ever scored at Alabama. The Gamecocks roughed up Alexis Osorio for four runs and six walks in 4.1 innings. Alabama went on to win the series, but South Carolina outscored the Tide 19-12 in the three-game series.
UCLA wins 1,800
The UCLA Bruins defeated Dartmouth 4-2 on Sunday for the program’s 1,800 victory. Dartmouth scored the game’s first run but UCLA answer with two in the bottom of the second and never looked back. Johanna Grauer improved to 9-3. The Bruins had eight hits from five different players. Paige Halstead tied a career high with three hits in the contest.
Record-setting Hyland
Cal Poly senior Sierra Hyland set a new Big West Conference career strikeout record over the weekend against Cal State Bakersfield. Hyland entered the game needing only one strikeout to pass the record of 846. She struck out the leadoff hitter on three pitches and finished the game with 13 strikeouts. She also moved within one shutout of matching the Cal Poly program career record of 33.
LSU sweeps UGA
The LSU Tigers beat Georgia twice on Sunday to clinch and sweep the weekend series. Both games were complete game, two-hit, shutouts from Sydney Smith (7-1) and Allie Walljasper. Smith threw a total of 79 pitches and Walljasper (10-1) threw 102. Georgia’s Brittany Gray lost two games over the weekend and fell to 16-4.
O-H! I-O!
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened conference play with a sweep for the third time in four years. Powered by a 13-run second inning, the Buckeyes swept Maryland by ways of a 22-0, five-inning win Sunday. They won the first two games, 6-2 and 10-6. The 22 runs scored are the second most in single-game history, two shy of the record 24.
Chase the Lion
The Belmont Bruins split on the road Sunday at SIUE. The win marks the first time since 1999 that the Bruins have won 25 games. Jordan Spicer brought home the first two runs with a single to center and Hayley Baker followed with a double. Ashley Johnson improved to 6-1 for the Bruins.
Cajuns sweep
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns collected a series sweep of South Alabama Sunday. ULL extended their school and Sun Belt Conference record of consecutive conference series won to 31 straight dating back to March 2013. It was their first sweep in Mobile since 2011. Haley Hayden scored twice moving her up to third place on the career runs list. DJ Sanders hit three home runs over the weekend, giving her 16 on the year and two shy of last year’s career-high.
