Super Regionals Day Two Take Aways
1. Rachel Garcia has all but iced her selection as the back-to-back National Player of the Year following her performance yesterday versus JMU. Not only did she pitch the full seven innings, allowing only two hits, and striking out 12 Duke batters she went 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs. Unreal. Garcia did allow a solo home run off the bate of Kate Gordon in the top of the first but moved on quickly and dominated the rest of the game.
2. Minnesota is just one win away from punching their ticket to the first ever WCWS appearance in program history. After a back-and-fourth battle yesterday in Minneapolis, the Gophers came out on top, 5-3. It’s always said that programs want to be playing their best ball in May and it’s evident that is what Minnesota is doing. Ace Amber Fiser and offensive leaders MaKenna Partain, Hope Brander, and National Freshman of the Year finalist Natalie DenHartog have carried their team the entire season while the bottom half of the lineup and bullpen have been hit or miss; but not lately. Allie Arneson, Emma Burns, Ali Lindner collected hits including a clutch at-bat from Arneson that resulted in the two go-ahead RBIs. That is great news for Minnesota and they look to continue pushing forward.
3. Texas was incredible last night. The game did not start out well for the Longhorns and it looked inevitable that Alabama was on their way to punching their ticket to Oklahoma City but than it all changed. Following a freak accident resulting in Texas ace, Miranda Elish, being struck in the face with a ball and leaving the game, the team rallied. Read all about it here. What may be most impressive was the performance by freshman Shealyn O’Leary in the circle following Elish’s exit. Put into a tough situation in an incredibly stressful environment, she rose to the occasion and while she wasn’t perfect, she was enough to seal the victory. She should be the starter in today’s game and we’re curious to see what kind of game she can put together today. The Tuscaloosa Super all comes down to a deceive winner take all game three; and we couldn’t be more excited!
4. Florida State reminded everyone why you cannot ever count them out. After falling in a heartbreaking game one, the Noles battled back and mounted a statement victory to even the series. While the odds aren’t in the favors of teams who lose the first game of the Super Regional series, Florida State has done it before and is posed to do it gain. I would be concerned for Oklahoma State going into this final matchup; FSU has been in this position before and battled through it and they are at home in-front of their passionate home crowd. It will be exciting to see how the Cowgirls come out and attack this game but the fact still remains: advantage, Seminoles.
5. Danielle Williams is “legit”. While Oklahoma claimed game one, 3-0, one thing was again reinforced: Northwestern’s Danielle Williams is good, really good. She threw five innings before being lifted but during that time held the powerful Sooner offense to only three hits while striking out six. She allowed two earned runs while errors and a few free passes haunted the Wildcats and the offense struggled against Oklahoma’s, Giselle Juarez. But all that aside, Williams did enough to give her team an opportunity to win a considered favorite for the national title. Again, she was good, really, really good.
