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2023 WCWS -- Day 5

We're down to four teams. Oklahoma (no losses) and Stanford (one loss) will face off at 11:00 am Central. An OU win puts the Sooners directly into the championship round, whereas a Cardinal win would force a winner-take-all rematch shortly following the first game. Florida State (no losses) takes on Tennessee (one loss) in the evening session, starting at 6:00 pm. The Seminoles need one win to reach the championship round, the Volunteers two... 

In the evening session, Florida State looking like it will join Oklahoma in the championship round, leading Tennessee 5-1 B6... The Vols with a bit of a rally, however, with runners on first and second and two out... K to end the inning... T7, FSU runner trying to steal home called out on video review after initially being called safe; score remains 5-1 Seminoles going to B7... UT down to its final three outs... K for first out... Fly to CF for second out... Easy flare to SS for third out... Florida State to championship round...

Kylie Chung with a two-run homer off of Nicole May for Stanford in the bottom of the first (video), 2-0 Cardinal... Sooners load bases in T2 off of Alana Vawter with one out, get sac-fly for a run (now with two outs). Stanford lead is 2-1... Foul pop to 1B-person ends OU threat... OU's Jayda Coleman leads off T3 with solo-shot to tie game at 2-2 (video)... T4, one-out single and HBP for Sooners... Grounder to 3B, fielder steps on bag, throws to first for double-play to end OU threat... B6, Jordy Bahl (who entered earlier this inning) pitching for Oklahoma, as Stanford has runners on first and second with two outs... 1-2 count... K-swinging to end Cardinal threat... T7, Alynah Torres with leadoff double off of NiJaree Canady (who entered in fifth) for OU... Stanford unable to field popped up bunt (3B-person ran in too far and ball goes over her head). Runners on first and second with none out... Fly to shallow left for first out, runners don't advance... Tiare Jennings K-swinging for second out... Frosh Jocelyn Erickson pinch-hitting... 1-2 count... Ball for 2-2... Fouled off... Off-speed pitch over plate called a ball, 3-2... Fly to left ends OU threat, still tied 2-2 (no runs by either team since third inning)... B7, Stanford with a chance to end Sooners' record 50-game winning streak, if it can push across a run... Kaitlyn Lim, leading off for Cardinal, has 1-2 count... Bloop toward left snagged by SS, one out... Sydney Steele steps in... Flares a single to right... Ellee Eck at the plate... 2-0 count... A walk would get Steele to second without costing an out like a bunt... 2-1 count... Full count... K-swinging on high pitch (potentially  Ball 4)... Easy ball back to Bahl for out at 1B, Stanford threat over... On to T8... Rare occurrence as Sooners go down 1-2-3... Cardinal coming up in B8... Light flare past the SS to put Taylor Gindlesperger on base for Stanford... Emily Young beats out bunt giving Cardinal runners at first and second and none out... Aly Kaneshiro shows bunt again... Pops bunt up for first out... Chung, who homered earlier, at the plate... 1-2 count... Fouled off... K-swinging on change-up... All up to Emily Schultz... 0-2 count... Fouled off... K-swinging again, OU escapes... 

Heading to T9... Grace Lyons roars (she really does) after leadoff double for Sooners... Grounder to 3B for first out, Lyons held at second... 0-2 count (although that usually doesn't faze Oklahoma)... Grounder to SS for second out, this time Lyons advances to third... Coleman coming up... Intentional walk (in college softball pitcher must physically throw the four wide ones). Brings up Tiare Jennings... 0-1 count... 0-2... Per ESPN announcer, Canady has struck Jennings out last four times (not including the present AB)... Fouled off... In typical Sooner fashion (in a good way), Jennings doubles to right-center gap to drive in two (video). 4-2 Sooners... Stanford SS bobbles grounder to keep OU rally alive... K to end rally...  Stanford will need at least two runs in B9 to keep its season alive... Lim leading off... 1-2 count... Works it to full count... Fouled off... K-swinging... Steele comes up... K for second out... Eck represents Stanford's last chance... Fly to left for final out. OU back to the championship round...

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