Women’s College World Series Arizona State vs. Oklahoma Recap
Elimination Game 1: Arizona State vs. Oklahoma
Saturday June 2 kicked off the first elimination day of the 2018 Women’s College World Series. G Juarez got the start for home team Arizona State in the circle. With two outs OU’s Shay Knighten delivered a base hit in the 5-6 hole. Nicole Pendley followed the at bat up with a hit of her own through the 3-4 hole, Knighten would advance to third. Juarez buckled down and recorded the final out of the inning via strikeout.
Paige Parker took the mound for the Sooner’s in the bottom half of the inning. The senior made quick work, spinning her pitches and retiring two batters by pop up and one by fly out.
The Sooners added another base runner in the top of the second after a bunt single by Nicole Mendes. A stolen base with one out would move Mendes to second. Kelsey Arnold drew a walk before Lea Wodach dropped a bunt, moving the runners to second and third with two outs. Juarez went right at Sydney Romero and retired her via pop up to short.
In the top of the third, freshman Jocelyn Alo blasted a home run into the right field bleachers, her 29th of the year, to give OU the 1-0 lead.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Caleigh Clifton drew a walk to give OU a base runner. Kelsey Arnold dropped a sacrifice bunt, moving Clifton to second with two outs. Wodach drove an 0-2 pitch off Juarez into left field, but it was right at Skylar McCarty who made the catch.
Arizona State made a pitching change in the top of the fifth and brought in senior right hander Breanna Macha to face the top of the Sooner batting order. A one out walk to Alo brought Knighten to the plate. The junior dropped a base hit in front of the left fielder to put OU runners on first and second. Pendley grounded out to short stop to move the runners up another base. Macha recorded a strike out to end the inning and strand two OU runners.
Clifton was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the sixth to start OU with a base runner. With two outs, Clifton advanced to second recording a stolen base. A base hit through the 3-4 hole by Wodach scored Clifton from second pushing the Sooner lead to 2-0. The pinch runner for Wodach was called for leaving early to end the top of the inning.
Arizona State got a runner on to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. A one out sac bunt would move the runner to second. Parker recorded the final out of the game with a strikeout looking. The senior earned the win after tossing a 7.0 inning two hitter. Oklahoma moves on in the Loser Bracket and will face Florida in another elimination game tonight at 6 p.m. CT.
