Breaking News: The two rematches (Oklahoma-JMU and Alabama-Florida State) that were originally scheduled for tonight have been shifted to Monday. The championship round will begin Tuesday.
Alabama-Florida State
Bama just needs one win to advance, whereas FSU needs two... Game finally starts after weather delay, Crimson Tide as the visitors... Scoreless after two... Bama pitching Lexi Kilfoyl rather than Montana Fouts... Still scoreless, heading to top of fifth... Top five: One-out single (takes second on passed ball) and HBP give Bama runners on first and second... K for second out... FSU pitching change (Kathryn Sandercock replacing Caylan Arnold)... Grounder to second ends threat... Bottom five: Infield single to start things for Seminoles... After fly-out, sharp single to left gives FSU runners on first and second with one out... Two-out single, followed by a walk, bring in game's first (and only) run, 1-0 FSU... Top six: Nothing for Bama... Bottom six: Two outs, none on for FSU... Dani Morgan triples off bottom of outfield wall in right-center... Single drives in run... Inning ends 2-0 Florida State... Top seven: First two Tide batters retired, Bama down to its final out... And it's all over, 2-0 Noles... Bama and FSU will face off again for spot in championship round. Tide has been so dominant, I never expected this!
James Madison-Oklahoma
Oklahoma gets a rematch with James Madison, who handed the Sooners their one loss in the opening round... OU must beat JMU twice to reach the championship round, but JMU only needs to beat OU once... In Game 1, the Sooners (playing as the visitors) lead 2-0 after one and a half... JMU threatening in the bottom of the second with runners at the corners and two outs (two singles and a fielder's choice having put the runners where they are)... Foul-out to catcher ends threat... JMU with another threat in bottom of third. With two outs, an infield single and a ground-rule double gives the Dukes runners at second at third... Not the usual ground-rule double from ball bouncing over outfield wall; instead, ball rolls under gate near left-field foul-line... ESPN rules expert says umpires have discretion to award lead runner home-plate if it looks like she would have scored anyway, but umps keep her on third... Pop-up ends inning, Sooners still up 2-0...
Top four: With runner on first and one out for Oklahoma, Nicole Mendes flare to center misplayed by JMU CF -- diving for ball, missing it, and having it roll to the wall (video) -- scores runner from and leaves Mendes on third (ruled a triple with no error)... 3-0 Sooners... No further scoring... Bottom four: Error on ball to short puts JMU leadoff hitter on second... Nice play by OU catcher to snare bloop foul ball for first out... Grounder to short for second out... Per ESPN, Dukes are 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position (RISP) so far... Wild-pitch advances runner to third... Walk puts runners on the corners and brings tying run to the plate in the name of Sara Jubas... Full-count... And tie the game Jubas does with a three-run blast (video). As the late, great sportscaster Dick Enberg would say, "Oh my!"... Nicole May replaces Shannon Saile in the circle for OU and promptly hits first batter she faces... 3-0 count to next batter... Full-count on two strikes looking... 59 mph change-up induces swing and miss, side retired, all-square, 3-3...
Top five: Two-out error gives OU runner at first... Fly-out to left ends half-inning... Bottom five: Dukes down quietly... Top six: Two-out walk for a Sooner offense that has stalled of late... Fly-out to left ends half-inning... Bottom six: Nice catch in center retires first JMU batter... Fly to left for second out... K for third out...
Top seven: Odicci Alexander back out there, having held OU to one run since the second inning... Single, double contribute to one run, making it 4-3 Sooners, then a Kinzie Hansen two-run homer (video) makes it 6-3 Sooners, with one out... Nothing further for OU... Bottom seven: Dukes put two runners on, but don't score (final out)... 6-3 OU is your final.
Sooners and Dukes will have a decisive rematch to determine who goes to the championship round. With weather delaying the Alabama-Florida State game, however, who knows when OU-JMU will play their game?