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First Full Day of 2021 NCAA Tourney

I love this time of year. Thanks to the ESPN Family of Networks (including the SEC Network), I have four Friday-afternoon games at my fingertips at the moment: Florida-South Florida, Auburn-UCF, Liberty-James Madison, and Arkansas-Manhattan... And as these games end, newer ones replace them on the air!... Below are my real-time summaries and reactions to many of the games, edited later to group them by regionals...

Washington regional

Seattle University down to its final three outs, trailing Michigan 2-0, top seven, in the Washington regional. Wolverines' pitcher Meghan Beaubien is working a no-hitter... Beaubien one strike away... Swing and a miss, no-hitter for Beaubien, the seventh of her career (per ESPN announcers)... Washington shuts out Portland State, 3-0, in the nightcap at this venue...

UCLA regional

Fresno State puts up the game's first two runs in the top of the sixth against Minnesota in the L.A. regional... Bulldogs close it out, 3-0... UCLA with an 8-0, run-rule win over Long Beach State in the nightcap...

Arizona regional

No. 11 Arizona off to a 2-0 start over Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC), top four... Now 3-0 Zona... 7-0 is the final score...

In the opener of the Tucson regional, Villanova takes a 1-0 lead over Ole Miss, middle of third... Now 1-1 in bottom of third... Back-to-back two-out singles give Ole Miss a 4-1 lead, bottom four... 5-1 is the final...

Missouri regional

Yet another 2-0 lead, No. 8 Missouri over Illinois-Chicago (UIC), top two... Mizzou takes an 8-0, run-rule win... 

Northern Iowa run-rules Iowa State in the opener, 8-0...

Oklahoma regional

No. 1-seed Oklahoma now leading Morgan State, 7-0, in just the bottom of the first... Now 13-0, bottom two... Final is 19-0...

Texas A&M closes to within 4-3 of Wichita State in top of third, via Brionna Warren two-run homer, in Norman, Oklahoma regional... Next Aggie batter drives deep fly to left, but caught for third out... Shockers expand their lead to 9-3, bottom five... WSU catcher Madison Perrigan has two homers, so far, on the day... Aggies, now trailing 9-5 in the top of the seventh with one out, brings the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded... Line-drive double just inside the left-field foul-line by Dani Elder makes it 9-7... Liner caught on fly by pitcher for second out... Grounder to first ends Aggie threat. Wichita State prevails...

LSU regional

Louisiana-Lafayette and George Washington locked in 0-0 tie after five complete... Ragin' Cajuns' pitcher Kandra Lamb took a perfect game into the top of the seventh, until allowing a single to the Colonials... Still 0-0... ULL wins it in 11 innings on a pinch-hit double... Game of the day...

McNeese State out to a 1-0 lead over LSU in the top of the first... LSU counters with a pair, for a 2-1 lead... LSU pulls away for a 10-2, run-rule win...

Alabama regional

Two-run shot by Alabama's Jenna Johnson ups the Crimson Tide's lead to 3-0 over Alabama State... Final is 9-0...

Clemson with an 8-0, run-rule win over Troy...

Clemson-Alabama rivalry now moving from gridiron to softball field!

Florida State regional

Upset alert: Kennesaw State, entering with a 26-25 record, leads No. 10-seed Florida State, 2-0, in the bottom (FSU) half of the fifth... Now 2-2... Seminoles pull away for 6-2 win...

UCF seeking to pad its 5-4 lead over Auburn, with a runner on second and one out, top six... Knights leave runner stranded... UCF hangs on, 5-4, closing out the game on a force-at-home, throw-to-first double-play...

Texas regional

Texas State leads Oregon, 3-1, in the Austin regional... Bobcats win 5-1...

Texas run-rules St. Francis (PA), 12-0...

Florida regional

An unusual double-play gets Florida out of a jam in the top of the seventh vs. South Florida in a scoreless duel. With one out and runners on first and second, the Bulls get a single up the middle, but the runner from second is thrown out at the plate at the trailing runner is thrown out at third (video)... Gators quickly win, 1-0, in the bottom of the seventh, as a Hannah Adams double to the wall drives in a runner from first (video)...

South Alabama shuts out Baylor, 2-0, a surprising setback for the power conference (Big 12) Bears...

Arkansas regional

Arkansas opening up some distance on Manhattan, 3-0, bottom five... Final is 8-0 Arkansas...

South Dakota St. routs Stanford, 7-1, another power conference (Pac 12) disappointment...

Tennessee regional

Odicci Alexander of James Madison strikes out 19, as her team edges Liberty, 4-3, in 10 innings...

The host Vols easily handle Eastern Kentucky, 8-1.  

Oklahoma State regional

The host Cowgirls run-rule Campbell, 10-0... Mississippi State defeats Boston U., 3-1... 

Georgia regional

Duke, the national seed (No. 13) but non-hosting team in this regional, with a close 2-0 win over in-state rival UNC Greensboro... Georgia, the hosting school, run-rules Western Kentucky, 11-3...

Kentucky regional

Two close games in this Midwest-focused regional: Kentucky, 3-2 over Northwestern; and Notre Dame, 3-2 over Miami-Ohio...

Arizona State regional

This regional began on Thursday, with No. 15-seed Arizona State and Virginia Tech victorious in the two games... 

Virginia Tech off to quick 3-0 lead over Arizona State in top of first on Friday... Hokies pull away to win, 8-2, making No. 15-seeded Sun Devils the first national seed to lose...

BYU ousts Southern Illinois Friday afternoon... Cougars win again, eliminating ASU in a wild 9-8 contest...

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