Skip to main content

2023 WCWS -- Day 2

Utah looks likely to be the second team going home, as it trails Oklahoma State 8-0 after two innings... No further scoring, as the Cowgirls win 8-0 via run-rule (five innings)...

The first team that will be going home from the WCWS is Alabama, which managed only one hit in a 2-0 loss to Stanford. Along with allowing no runs and limiting the Crimson Tide to one hit, the Cardinal combination of Alana Vawter (5 1/3 innings) and NiJaree Canady (1 2/3 innings) did not walk anyone.  

Utah and Washington finally underway after being delayed from last night. UW is the home team. During the Pac 12 season, the Huskies took two of three from the Utes in Seattle, with all three games being close... T2, with one out, Utah gets one of the strangest doubles you'll ever see, as Haley Denning's bunt-chopper through the middle of the infield bounces over pitcher and by two infielders; once Denning arrives at first and sees no one covering second, she takes off (can't find video of this play)... Kendall Lundberg follows with a "conventional" double on a sharp flare toward the right-field line, scoring Denning, 1-0 Utes... Grounder for second out... After walk, nice catch by left-fielder on foul near stands ends the threat...B2, two-out walk, followed by Rylee Holtorf homer (video), puts UW up 2-1... Throwing error on grounder to SS prolongs the inning, Huskies with runner on first... Stolen base (after official review reverses call of "out") gives Washington runner in scoring position... Pop-up ends inning... T4: Utah threatening with runners on first and second with one out... K-swinging on off-speed pitch for second out... Up to Ellessa Bonstrom to try to drive in a run for the Utes... HBP to load bases... Weak pop to 1B-person to end Utah threat... B4, Huskies tack on another run (single, steal, single) to take 3-1 lead... B6, UW looking to blow game open with bases loaded and only one out... Sac-fly to left makes it 4-1 Huskies... Grounder for fielder's choice at second ends Washington threat... Uneventful T7 for Utah, as Washington prevails 4-1...  Because of last night's weather-related delays, Utah will have to play again tonight, against Oklahoma State in an elimination game...

Popular posts from this blog

Jordy Bahl Transferring from Oklahoma to Nebraska

The college softball world has thrown us a "Curve Bahl," if you will. Such is the unexpected news that Oklahoma ace Jordy Bahl has announced that she will transfer to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Bahl is from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. Three thoughts jump out at me: Bahl was absolutely indispensable to the Sooners' 61-1 national championship season, coming up with numerous clutch strikeouts in tight tournament games against Clemson (super-regionals, Game 2 ) and Stanford ( WCWS semifinals ).    OU benefited greatly this season via the transfer portal, bringing in Haley Lee  from Texas A&M,  Alex Storako from Michigan, and Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres from Arizona State. Bahl's transfer is the first major one in the modern portal era (to my knowledge) in the other direction. Nebraska becomes an instant national championship contender, in my mind. Other players around the country may find it attractive to join Bahl in Lincoln but even if
Read more

2024 Opening Weekend

SATURDAY Texas won its second game vs. UCLA a little more decisively than it won its first contest with the Bruins -- 16-0 . Kentucky defeated No. 3 Stanford for the second day in a row, but the Wildcats fell to San Diego State later in the day. Texas Tech dropped a heartbreaker at Florida State, as the Seminoles scored two in the bottom of the seventh for a 9-8 victory. FSU trailed 8-7 with two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh before getting a walk to load the bases and a two-run single to finish it off ( video ).  Michigan earned one of its best wins in a while by edging No. 18 Florida , 2-1. FRIDAY No. 1 Oklahoma had a close call with No. 10 Washington Friday night. The Sooners scored a single run in the top of the sixth to tie the game and a go-ahead run in the eighth, en route to a 4-3 victory over the Huskies in the Puerto Vallarta tournament. No. 5 Texas has held off No. 8 UCLA by a 3-2 score Friday night in Los Angeles. The Longhorns led 3-0 going into the botto
Read more

2023 WCWS -- Day 4

Two elimination games are scheduled for today: Stanford vs. Washington, in an all-Pac 12 matchup (2:00 pm Central, ABC) and Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee (6 pm, ESPN2). Oklahoma State and Tennessee underway, scoreless as the Cowgirls bat in the top of the second... A two-out walk gives OSU runners at first and second... Full count... Soft pop-up to pitcher ends Cowgirl threat... Tennessee SS Mackenzie Donihoo with nice catch going back into shallow left ( video )... Still scoreless as Vols come up B3... Walk, steal, and Zaida Puni oppo double score first run, UT leads 1-0... Walk and single increase Vols' lead to 2-0 . Lexi Kilfoyl replacing Kelly Maxwell in the circle for Cowgirls... Tennessee with runners at second and third with one out... Walk to load bases... Grounder back to pitcher, gets force at the plate... Another grounder to the pitcher, this time she throws batter out at first... T4, OSU two-out rally, with single and double but runner thrown out at the plate ... Tennes
Read more