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Women's College World Series Game 3 -- Thursday AFTERNOON

I'm back. It's been pretty much all Oklahoma thus far, with the Sooners (home team today) leading 5-1 after three... Still four innings to play, though... Solo shots by Jocelyn Alo in the first (video) and Jayda Coleman in the second gave OU a 2-0 lead... Florida State came back with one in the third, on a walk (runner later advanced to second on a ground-out) and a double, cutting its deficit to 2-1... Sooners counter with three runs in bottom of third on a single, walk, walk, and double, with a key wild pitch mixed in... Now, 5-1 OU... G Juarez rolling along in the circle for OU, whereas FSU has now used three pitchers (starter Danielle Watson, who pitched so well in Game 1, Emma Wilson, and most recently Kathryn Sandercock)... Noles go quietly in top of the fourth... OU likewise in bottom half... Noles likewise in top of fifth... Bottom fifth: Sharp line single to center to lead things off... Grounder to SS for double-play (tags second, throws to first)... Grounder to second ends inning...

Six more outs left for FSU... Top six: Typical of Seminoles' day: Mudge pulls a hard liner, right at 1B-person for first out... Fly to left caught just short of warning tract, nice running grab by Mackenzie Donihoo, two outs... Foul-out to catcher ends half-inning... Nothing for Sooners in bottom half...

Top seven: Backwards K on knee-level pitch for first out... Another backwards K... Four-pitch walk with two outs... Batter fouling a few off on 2-2 count... Another foul, almost caught near side-wall in right-field area... Soft bloop back to Juarez ends the game (5-2) and series... Oklahoma wins the WCWS national title, the program's fifth overall and third in the last five... Congrats to the Sooners!

***

When the first pitch of Game 3 is thrown today at 2:00 p.m. Central, I will be in a dentist's chair, receiving a crown. At the end of the day, either Oklahoma or Florida State will also receive a crown, in their case the NCAA championship trophy. I will try to comment on as much of the action as I can, possibly late in the game or else after the fact. Enjoy the game! 

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