No. 5 Louisiana (Lafayette) fell flat in its attempt to join the nation's most elite teams, getting swept in a three-game non-conference series at No. 1 Florida. The Gators won by scores of 5-1, 14-1, and 3-0 this weekend.
No. 2 Michigan* likewise scored a sweep, topping Ohio State by scores of 8-0, 5-1, and 5-3. Though the Buckeyes were not nationally ranked, they brought a 9-1-1 conference record into Ann Arbor. In Sunday's game, televised on the Big Ten Network, Ohio State center-fielder Taylor White did all she could to keep her team in the game. White hit an inside-the-park homer and made two spectacular catches (one running toward left on a deep fly and the other charging in to snag a blooper). OSU led 3-2 in the fifth inning, but UM's Tera Blanco came up with two runners on and drilled a shot to the one place White couldn't track it down -- over the fence.
No. 3 Auburn annihilated Arkansas with three straight run-rule shutouts: 21-0, 23-0, and 10-0.
No. 4 Alabama took two of three from Texas A&M, but did get walloped 14-1 in the finale.
Oklahoma, ranked No. 9 and 12 in the two national polls, continues to run away with the Big 12 race, raising its conference mark to 9-1 with a sweep of Texas.
No. 6 Oregon, which was off this weekend, is setting the pace in the Pac 12 at 10-2.
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*Michigan and Auburn were tied at No. 2 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll; Michigan was No. 2 and Auburn No. 3 in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
