Auburn, having gone 10 innings to beat UCLA yesterday, is working overtime again, today vs. Florida. The Gators are coming up in the bottom of the ninth. The game was tied 2-2 after four innings and it has remained so ever since... A Gator win puts them in the championship series, which begins Monday night, as Auburn already has one loss and would be eliminated if it loses the current game. The Tigers would need to win the current game and beat Florida once more, to make the finals... UF's Nicole DeWitt singles to shallow left, driving in winning run from second with two outs... Gators to championship series!
Michigan and LSU go scoreless in the first... LSU with a threat in the top of the second, with runners at the corners and one out... Sac-fly, almost to the track in center, brings home first run, 1-0 LSU... Runner on first advances to second on wild pitch... Another wild one advances runner to third... HBP puts runners on corners again... Another shaky start for UM's Megan Betsa, but only one run allowed so far... Betsa gets strikeout to end inning and limit the damage... Wolverines get something going in bottom of second, with runners on first and second and one out... Haylie Wagner, a pitcher starting as designated-player today, at the plate... Wagner hits soft pop-up to second for second out, runner barely gets back... Wild pitch advances runners to second and third... Blanco walks on borderline check-swing call on 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded... Abby Ramirez coming up... Flies to left to end inning... LSU gets two-out rally going in top of third, on ground-ball error (although it would have been tough to get runner even on a cleanly fielded ball) and HBP, putting runners on first and second... Grounder to pitcher ends half-inning... UM's Sierra Romero, who had a quiet offensive night in her previous game, homers off the left-field foul-pole (or, as some say, fair-pole), tying game 1-1, bottom three... Top four, one-out single for LSU puts runners at second and third (batter taking second on throw home to prevent runner scoring from second)... Strikeout for second out... Walk on 3-2 pitch loads bases for Bailey Landry... Landry singles to left on 0-2 pitch, driving in two, Landry to second on throw to third (runner coming from first is safe). Tigers lead 3-1. Wagner coming in to pitch... K to end half-inning... One-out double off left-field wall by Michigan's Lindsay Montemarano... Wagner pops to shortstop in shallow left for second out... Tera Blanco single lands just in front of charging center-fielder, drives home run. Wolverines cut deficit to 3-2... Abby Ramirez singles to put runners on first and second for Sierra Lawrence... Blanco attempts to steal third, throw goes into left-field, allowing her to tie game, 3-3. Ramirez to second... Lawrence walks on four pitches, bringing up Romero with bases loaded... Hard, low chopper to first ends inning... LSU leaves a runner on first in top of fifth, still tied 3-3... Michigan goes quietly in bottom half... LSU leaves a runner in top of sixth. The game has really quieted down offensively! Wolverines put runners on first and second with one out, for Abby Ramirez. According to Beth Mowins, Ramirez has four hits in last five at-bats... Make it five for her last six, on short bloop that falls in. Runners all advance one base, loading them up... Hard shot by Lawrence down left-field line doubles home two (including one on 3B-person obstruction of runner). Ball touched grass before third base, then appeared to bounce over bag, before rolling into foul territory. 5-3 Michigan... Romero hits another infield shot, this time to short, runner thrown out at home for second out, Wolverines with runners on corner for Kelly Christner... Romero appears to intentionally create run-down between first and second, allowing runner to score from third (Romero ends up safe at second). Now, 6-3 Wolverines... Christner strikes out, but damage is done... LSU down to last three outs... Lead-off walk for Bianca Bell on four pitches... UM gets lead runner on Sahvanna Jaquish grounder... Again, Wolverines get lead runner on Kellsi Kloss grounder. Two away... Easy grounder to pitcher ends game, sends Michigan to championship series vs. Florida... Wolverines' 28th straight win!
For what it's worth, Florida has already beaten Michigan twice this season: 2-1 on February 7, and 7-4 on March 5. Will, as Shakespeare said, the past be prologue?
Michigan and LSU go scoreless in the first... LSU with a threat in the top of the second, with runners at the corners and one out... Sac-fly, almost to the track in center, brings home first run, 1-0 LSU... Runner on first advances to second on wild pitch... Another wild one advances runner to third... HBP puts runners on corners again... Another shaky start for UM's Megan Betsa, but only one run allowed so far... Betsa gets strikeout to end inning and limit the damage... Wolverines get something going in bottom of second, with runners on first and second and one out... Haylie Wagner, a pitcher starting as designated-player today, at the plate... Wagner hits soft pop-up to second for second out, runner barely gets back... Wild pitch advances runners to second and third... Blanco walks on borderline check-swing call on 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded... Abby Ramirez coming up... Flies to left to end inning... LSU gets two-out rally going in top of third, on ground-ball error (although it would have been tough to get runner even on a cleanly fielded ball) and HBP, putting runners on first and second... Grounder to pitcher ends half-inning... UM's Sierra Romero, who had a quiet offensive night in her previous game, homers off the left-field foul-pole (or, as some say, fair-pole), tying game 1-1, bottom three... Top four, one-out single for LSU puts runners at second and third (batter taking second on throw home to prevent runner scoring from second)... Strikeout for second out... Walk on 3-2 pitch loads bases for Bailey Landry... Landry singles to left on 0-2 pitch, driving in two, Landry to second on throw to third (runner coming from first is safe). Tigers lead 3-1. Wagner coming in to pitch... K to end half-inning... One-out double off left-field wall by Michigan's Lindsay Montemarano... Wagner pops to shortstop in shallow left for second out... Tera Blanco single lands just in front of charging center-fielder, drives home run. Wolverines cut deficit to 3-2... Abby Ramirez singles to put runners on first and second for Sierra Lawrence... Blanco attempts to steal third, throw goes into left-field, allowing her to tie game, 3-3. Ramirez to second... Lawrence walks on four pitches, bringing up Romero with bases loaded... Hard, low chopper to first ends inning... LSU leaves a runner on first in top of fifth, still tied 3-3... Michigan goes quietly in bottom half... LSU leaves a runner in top of sixth. The game has really quieted down offensively! Wolverines put runners on first and second with one out, for Abby Ramirez. According to Beth Mowins, Ramirez has four hits in last five at-bats... Make it five for her last six, on short bloop that falls in. Runners all advance one base, loading them up... Hard shot by Lawrence down left-field line doubles home two (including one on 3B-person obstruction of runner). Ball touched grass before third base, then appeared to bounce over bag, before rolling into foul territory. 5-3 Michigan... Romero hits another infield shot, this time to short, runner thrown out at home for second out, Wolverines with runners on corner for Kelly Christner... Romero appears to intentionally create run-down between first and second, allowing runner to score from third (Romero ends up safe at second). Now, 6-3 Wolverines... Christner strikes out, but damage is done... LSU down to last three outs... Lead-off walk for Bianca Bell on four pitches... UM gets lead runner on Sahvanna Jaquish grounder... Again, Wolverines get lead runner on Kellsi Kloss grounder. Two away... Easy grounder to pitcher ends game, sends Michigan to championship series vs. Florida... Wolverines' 28th straight win!
For what it's worth, Florida has already beaten Michigan twice this season: 2-1 on February 7, and 7-4 on March 5. Will, as Shakespeare said, the past be prologue?