NCAA Softball Super Regional Saturday Recap
Photo Courtesy of: Florida State Athletics
UCLA was the first team to punch their ticket to the Women’s College World Series after winning two-of-three in their series against Arizona on Friday. After Saturday’s play, the 2018 WCWS stage has been set for the eight attending teams. Games will kick off on Thursday May 31 in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma OKC Bound After 9-0 Win
The Sooners are headed back to OKC to defend their back-to-back National Titles, after defeating Arkansas 9-0 on Saturday in Norman. OU freshman Jocelyn Alo, the national leader in home runs, now owns the team’s highest batting average at .415, edging junior third baseman Sydney Romero at .414. Saturday marked home win No. 100 for the Sooners’ senior class against just five losses (.952) and capped this year’s 30-0 record at home. It will be OU’s 12TH Women’s College World Series appearance since 2000 and will keep alive their quest for a rare three-peat. UCLA (1988-90) is the only team to claim three straight NCAA crowns in softball.
Georgia Holds On in Extras to Sweep Tennessee
The Georgia Bulldogs (48-11) advanced to the Women’s College World Series after defeating the Tennessee Lady Vols 2-1 in eight innings and sweeping the best of three series on Saturday. Bulldog sophomore Mary Wilson Avant (12-3) threw a gem in the circle, tossing five hitless innings before surrendering a single in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Cortni Emmanuel blasted her third career home run over the right field wall in the eighth inning to put Georgia on top and the team would go on to secure the victory.
GONE.
Cortni Emanuel blasts one into right field to give Georgia a 2-1 lead! #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/ake2Ldkz7k
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 26, 2018
Washington Returns to WCWS
The Huskies advance to the Women’s College World Series after earning a 6-0 victory over Alabama on Saturday. Washington took the lead on just the second pitch of the game and never looked back, picking up its 49th win of the year to advance to Oklahoma City. Taran Alvelo earned her first shutout of the postseason in her second start, allowing only four baserunners and striking out eight. The junior is 22-4 on the season after today’s win. This is the 13TH WCWS trip for the Huskies and second in a row.
Gators Walk Off in Game Three
The Florida Gators once again used late-game heroics to top Texas A&M, 5-3, in the deciding Game Three of the Gainesville Super Regional. Down to the final strike of the game, with runners on first and second, freshman Jordan Matthews came up with the biggest hit of her Gator career, a three-run home run to send the Gators to OKC. The game was Florida’s 11th come-from-behind victory and fourth true walk-off of the season. UF advances to its ninth WCWS in program history, and has now advanced six of the last seven years.
JORDAN MATTHEWS HITS IT TO OKC!!!#NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/GNx5bjuqvh
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 26, 2018
Oregon Takes Game Three to Advance
After dropping their Super Regional opener Thursday, the Oregon softball team rallied to win the three-game series, capped by an 11-1 run-rule win in five innings Saturday. After bouncing back behind a sharp Miranda Elish pitching performance on Friday night to even the series, the Ducks won the best-of-three series Saturday, 11-1 in five innings at Jane Sanders Stadium. Elish was again dominant in the circle, seniors drove in eight of the 11 runs, and the UO softball team earned the right to play in the Women’s College Series for the fourth time in the last five years, and the fifth time in White’s nine seasons as head coach.
Arizona State Headed Back to OKC
Arizona State punched their ticket to Oklahoma City for the first time since 2013, defeating the 11th- ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in the Tempe Super Regional with a 5-2 win Saturday evening at Farrington Stadium. Senior pitcher Breanna Macha took owned the circle on Saturday, striking out six Gamecock batters and holding South Carolina to just two runs for her 16th win of the season. The Sun Devils are now 24-14 against SEC teams in postseason play, including a perfect 4-0 in 2018.
Florida State Takes Down LSU in Doubleheader
The Seminoles defeated LSU in a pair of games on Saturday to earn their bid to the Women’s College World Series. Game one was an 11-inning marathon with Florida State coming out on top 8-5 after some late game heroics. Game two was a battle with both teams locked at 0-0 until Senior Seminole Jessie Warren blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to give FSU a 2-0 lead. The final score was 3-1 with the Seminoles advancing to Oklahoma City.
Jessie Warren's TWO-RUN shot gives @FSUsoftball the lead over LSU!
Watch this one on @ESPNU! pic.twitter.com/zEGoR5bntp
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 27, 2018
