Skip to main content

2022 NCAA Opening Weekend -- Saturday

The big story of the day is the success of Pac 12 teams, "chalk" wins for UCLA and ASU, upsets for Stanford and Arizona. 

No. 1 Oklahoma has defeated Texas A&M, but by a much closer margin than many would have expected. OU lead 3-0 after four innings, but the Aggies scored two in the top of the sixth. There was no further scoring, so the final was 3-2 Sooners (box score).

No. 2 Florida State shuts out South Florida, 8-0 (box score).

No. 3 Virginia Tech leading Kentucky, 4-1, as Hokies bat in bottom of sixth (gametracker)... Wildcats rally for four runs (so far) in top of seventh -- highlighted by Renee Abernathy three-run shot (video) -- to take 5-4 lead... Key replay pending with two out in bottom of seventh... UK 1B-person found to have stepped on bag before batter got there on strange play, for final out... Kentucky wins...

Oregon and No. 4 Arkansas are scoreless as the Ducks bat in the top of the sixth (gametracker). Razorbacks break through with six runs in the sixth (including back-to-back homers), for 6-0 lead... Arkansas closes it out, 6-2...

Loyola Marymount and No. 5 UCLA are tied 1-1 as the  Lions bat in the bottom of the fifth (gametracker)... UCLA loads the bases with one out in the top of the sixth... Walk makes it 2-1 Bruins... Sharp single to center drives in two (4-1 UCLA), runners to second and third on throw home... LMU wild pitch allows Bruins another run, now 5-1... UCLA runner who had advanced to third on wild pitch scores on foul-out to deep right, now 6-1 Bruins... 7-1 is your final...

Stanford with a three-spot in the top of the first vs. No. 6 Alabama... The Cardinal has upped its lead to 5-0, as the Tide bats in the bottom of the sixth... 6-0 Stanford is your final.

No. 7 Oklahoma State has topped Nebraska, 7-4 (box score).

No. 8 Arizona State (playing as the visitor) put up eight runs in the first inning against San Diego State, but then immediately allowed five runs by the Aztecs. Currently 10-8 Sun Devils after just three innings (gametracker)... The scoring has slowed down a bit, with ASU leading 11-8 in the fifth... Still 11-8 as San Diego State down to its final three outs in bottom of seventh... Leadoff walk for Aztecs... Old-fashioned 6-4-3 double-play, taking Aztecs down to their final out... HBP... Line single to left brings tying run to plate for Aztecs... Fly-out to shallow left ends it... ASU wins 11-8...

No. 9 Northwestern pummeling McNeese State, 17-3... That's your final (gametracker).

No. 10 Clemson makes a single run in the fourth inning hold up in a 1-0 win over Auburn (box score).

No. 11 Tennessee has beaten Oregon State, 3-0 (box score).

No. 12 Duke has shut out Liberty, 5-0 (box score).

No. 13 Washington leading Texas, 2-0, as the Huskies bat in the bottom of the fifth (gametracker)... With UT down 2-1, Lauren Burke two-run single (video) puts Longhorns up, 3-2, top six... Texas increases lead to 4-2 on this hit in top of seventh... Now 7-2 Horns... 8-2... That's your final...

No. 14 Florida leads Georgia Tech, 5-1, with the Gators coming up in the bottom of the fifth (gametracker)...

Arizona has shut out No. 15 Mizzou, 2-0 (box score).

Michigan taking on No. 16 seed Central Florida in a battle to remain the only unbeaten team in that region. The visiting Wolverines lead 1-0 in the top of the fifth, with the leadoff runner on first... Sacrifice bunt attempt turns into infield single, first and second for Michigan... Next two UM batters retired... UCF should have been out of the inning, but a chopper to 2B-person bounces off her glove into outfield, allowing runner to score from second... Wolverines now up 2-0, with runners on the corners... Runner from first takes second on defensive indifference... Ground-out to end Michigan threat... Nothing for UCF in bottom of fifth... Two-out HBP and double put Knights on the board in bottom of sixth, now 2-1 Michigan... Meghan Beaubien gave the Wolverines some beaucoup innings in the circle, but now she leaves in favor of Annabelle Widra... K to end threat... Nothing for UM in top of seventh... UCF with leadoff runner on first after infield hit... Bunted to second, one out... Grounder to first for second out, potential tying run moves to third... Game-tying double for UCF... Alex Storako in to pitch for Wolverines... Shot to first fielded on one hop for final out... We're going extras... Michigan strands runner in top of eighth, UCF coming up, still 2-2... Nothing for UCF... UM with a runner on first and two out in the top of the ninth... K ends mini-threat... Knights with a runner on first and one out... Infield single (bloop toward second) gives UCF runners on first and second... Rally fizzles... Michigan coming up in top of the 10th, Kama Woodall having gone all the way for UCF thus far... Nada for UM... Beaubien back pitching for Michigan in bottom of 10th, gives up a one-out single... Another single, putting Knights on first and second... Deep foul fly to right caught for second out, runner advances from second to third... Chopper to short, batter narrowly thrown out at first, otherwise runner from third would have scored winning run... 11th inning anyone?... Michigan goes quietly in its half... UCF with one-out walk in its half... Michigan botches force at second (and possible double-play) on grounder when toss from SS to 2B bobbled... Sharp grounder down 1B line gets through to outfield, scoring winning run for UCF (3-2)...

No seeded team lost on Friday; this is not unexpected, as all played what was considered the fourth-best team in their respective region. There were, however, some power-conference teams losing to non-power-conference opponents: Notre Dame to McNeese State, LSU to San Diego State, Mississippi to Loyola Marymount, Georgia to Liberty, and Mississippi State to South Florida, 

The NCAA has a comprehensive results page available here.

Popular posts from this blog

Pitching Star NiJaree Canady Reportedly in the Transfer Portal

Stanford pitching ace NiJaree Canady has reportedly entered the transfer portal ( link ), having completed two seasons in the circle for the Cardinal. Stanford has made the WCWS in both of Canady's seasons on the team. Another school hit hard by the transfer portal is the University of Washington, with an exodus of eight Huskies . This list of the top ten players in the portal includes four from UW. Today is the final day of the 30-day window for players to enter the portal.

NiJaree Canady Transferring to -- of All Places -- Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady, whose sub-1.00 ERA helped lead Stanford to the Women's College World Series in both her years with the Cardinal, announced on July 24 that she is transferring to Texas Tech. I've lived in Lubbock for 27 years and can say that the town has been improving with a greater selection of restaurants and shops, and a new downtown performing arts center. Likewise, nice new facilities have been dotting the Texas Tech campus . Still, it seems unlikely that Canady would have become a Red Raider without the $1 million annual Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal for her, made possible by the donation of a Texas Tech alumni couple. So stunning an event is this, even in the ever-changing world of collegiate athletics, that the New York Times  even ran a behind-the-scenes story on Canady's path to Texas Tech. I look forward to being in the stands to watch Canady pitch next spring, an opportunity I never expected to have.

2024 WCWS -- Day 6

Oklahoma has kept its quest for a fourth straight WCWS title alive with a 6-5 eight-inning win over Florida to advance to the championship round. The Sooners will take on Texas in a two-out-of-three series beginning Wednesday night. Florida held a 5-2 lead after three innings and looked well on its way to beating OU for the second straight day, which would have eliminated the Sooners and taken the Gators to the final round. However, UF scored no further runs, whereas Oklahoma chipped away with two in the fourth, one in the sixth, and one in the eighth. The final run came via Jayda Coleman's opposite-field walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth.  Sooner starter Kelly Maxwell went the distance, allowing only four hits. Three of those hits were home runs within the first three innings; the only other Gator hit was an infield single in the top of the sixth. Maxwell also walked five and struck out eight. Florida starter Keagan Rothrock also went the distance, allowing 1...