Game 3 of the UCLA-Oregon super-regional, the final game of a long day, is underway... Duck ace Cheridan Hawkins, who did not pitch Game 2, comes out rusty in the top of the first. A walk, a single, and an airmailed throw to third on the single give UCLA a 1-0 lead... Selina Ta'amilo, who pitched Game 2, goes again in Game 3 for the Bruins... Jenna Lilley leads off Oregon half with base-hit... UCLA can't handle Nikki Udria's bunt, putting runners on first and second... Another bunt (on which UCLA gets out at first) puts Ducks on second and third... Bruins make a quick pitching change, bringing in Paige McDuffee... K for second out... Janelle Lindvall at the plate, HBP to load bases ("Ducks on the Pond")... Lauren Lindvall up, flies out to right, ending threat... UCLA adds a run in the fourth, making it 2-0... Oregon gets a run in the bottom of the seventh and puts the tying run at second with two outs, but can't get the equalizer... UCLA wins 2-1 to advance to the WCWS!
Comments during UCLA-Oregon Game 2:
Game 2 between UCLA and Oregon now taking place in Eugene, with Ducks trying to close out series... Leadoff triple by Jenna Lilley, followed by sac-fly, gives Oregon 1-0 lead in top of first... Nothing but zeroes have been added to the scoreboard, now with UCLA batting in the bottom of the sixth... Bruins have a runner on first with two outs... Oregon SS Nikki Udria makes great inning-ending catch with her back to the infield to grab Brianna Tautalafua's blooper to left... UCLA down to its final three outs, trailing 1-0... Bruins' Gabrielle Maurice homers with one out to tie game in bottom of seventh... No further damage, so Bruins and Ducks going extras... Top 8: Lilley slugs two-out double... Ground-out ends Duck threat... Allexis Bennett leads off bottom half with single for UCLA... Bunt attempt popped up, one out... Fielder's choice at second leaves Bruins with runner on first, two out... Inning ends with UCLA runner being called out for leaving early on steal attempt... Top 9: UO gets first batter aboard on infield hit... Infield pop for first out... K for second out... And another K for third out... Bottom 9: Mysha Sataraka leads off with double... Tautalafua up, bunts potential winning run to third (with one out)... Madeline Jelenicki up... ESPN announcers suggest walking next two batters to set up force at home... Ducks opt against this strategy... Jelenicki singles home winning run, 2-1 Bruins... Game 3 coming up!
Auburn has come back from an opening-game loss to Arizona to win its super-regional (see table below)...
Comments during Arizona-Auburn Game 3:
Game 3 between Arizona and Auburn is underway... Auburn is the home team... Kaylee Carlson starts in the circle, after Makayla Martin had pitched in Game 2... Arizona goes down 1-2-3 in the first... O'Toole Time for Arizona in the circle... HBP to leadoff hitter Tiffany Howard... Wild-pitched to second... Kasey Cooper singles to left, driving in game's first run. Cooper to second on throw home and takes third on hard-to-handle pitch... Auburn leads 1-0... Emily Carosone up... Another HBP... Sac-fly to right by Carlee Wallace makes it 2-0... Carasone out for leaving early trying to steal second... Jade Rhodes to first on strike-out that gets away from catcher. Auburn will thus get four outs this at-bat... And that fourth out comes quickly on a grounder to third... Next couple of innings go uneventfully... ESPN graphic with two out in Arizona third: Auburn defense has recorded 35 of 50 outs this series via ground-out... Auburn with runners at second and third after Cooper single and Carsone double, one out, bottom three... Grounder to third, throw comes home, gets away, both runners score. Auburn leads 4-0, runner to second... Runner to third on ground-out... Nice play by Arizona 2B Ashleigh Hughes to short-hop line-drive and throw runner out at first... Mo Mercado with one-out double in top of fourth. Is Arizona in the market for some runs? Nope, side retired... Nancy Bowling in to pitch for Wildcats in bottom of fourth. Coach Mike Candrea tells ESPN interviewers, "We have some fresh pitchers" who can give Auburn hitters a different look... Haley Fagan solo shot in bottom of fifth makes it 5-0 Auburn... Top 6: Arizona strings together some singles for a run, two out... Hard grounder to first ends half-inning for Wildcats, as they trail 5-1... Auburn adds run in bottom of sixth to increase its lead to 6-1... Zona down to its final three outs... First two Wildcats hit singles, Tamara Statman to center and Dotson via the infield variety... Eva Watson makes it three straight singles (hers to outfield), loading bases... Mandie Perez at the plate, lines out to third, with Statman safely scampering back to the bag... Hughes lines out to second... Mercado hits grounder a short distance in front of home, catcher picks up ball, steps on plate and the game is over... Auburn wins game, 6-1, and series...
SEC will have four teams in Women's College World Series, but two of them had to come back from losing super-regional openers, LSU and Auburn. The other two SEC squads, Georgia and Alabama, swept their respective supers... We'll also have one team each from the B1G (Michigan), Big 12 (Oklahoma), ACC (Florida State), and Pac 12 (Oregon or UCLA).
Comments during Arizona-Auburn Game 2:
Arizona leads Auburn 1-0 in Game 2 of the teams' series, as the Wildcats seek to close things out... Auburn gets a leadoff double from Emily Carosone in the top of the fourth. Carosone was initially called out at second, but was given the bag due to obstruction by the first-baseperson who was ruled to be in the runner's way when the two made contact... Carlee Wallace then HBP... Jade Rhodes pops up bunt attempt for first out... Haley Fagan up, doubles over CF's head to the wall, two score, giving Tigers 2-1 lead... Madi Gipson up, flares a single to right, runners at the corners... Taylor McQuillin replacing Danielle O'Toole in the circle for Arizona (O'Toole's Game-2 difficulties reminiscent of second outing vs. Tennessee in regionals, but Zona hung on in that one)... Whitney Jordan up, HBP, loading bases... Jenna Abbott to pinch hit... Pop to shallow left doesn't advance runners... Tiffany Howard flares single to left-center, just beyond shortstop's glove, putting Auburn up 4-1. Howard takes second on throw in, leaving runners at second and third... Kasey Cooper up, pops to short to end half-inning... Katiyana Mauga leads off bottom of fourth for Arizona with deep fly to right that goes off fielder's mitt and rolls to wall. Mauga gets to second; would have been a tough catch, but ruled an error... Three straight ground-outs end Wildcat threat... Auburn loads bases in top of fifth with two outs for Jordan... Strikes out looking... Auburn pitcher Makayla Martin starts out cruising in bottom of fifth, retiring first two batters and getting 0-2 count on third... Martin then walks batter and hits next one, putting two on... Force at second ends inning... Bottom 6: One-out infield error followed by ground single to left gives Arizona runners on first and second... Ground-out to first advances runners to second and third with two out... Alexis Dotson, who doubled in Arizona's only run thus far, at the plate... Dotson grounds out, ending inning... Wildcats down to their final three outs in Game 2... Leadoff single, followed by fly-out to center... Force at second and infield line-out end game, with Tigers prevailing 4-1... Auburn and Arizona going to a decisive Game 3...
Michigan has swept its series from Missouri, winning 5-4 today. Trailing 4-1, the Wolverines scored four runs in the top of the seventh, then withstood a Tiger rally that put runners on first and third (here's the final out). Michigan's four-run rally included five hits -- two after two were out -- and a Mizzou wild pitch that allowed the go-ahead run to score.
*Game 1 Thursday, Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 on Friday.
**Game 1 Friday, Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 on Saturday.
***Game 1 Saturday, Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 on Sunday.
Here's a link to the bracket on the official NCAA website, for those who would like to follow the super-regionals that way.
Comments during UCLA-Oregon Game 2:
Game 2 between UCLA and Oregon now taking place in Eugene, with Ducks trying to close out series... Leadoff triple by Jenna Lilley, followed by sac-fly, gives Oregon 1-0 lead in top of first... Nothing but zeroes have been added to the scoreboard, now with UCLA batting in the bottom of the sixth... Bruins have a runner on first with two outs... Oregon SS Nikki Udria makes great inning-ending catch with her back to the infield to grab Brianna Tautalafua's blooper to left... UCLA down to its final three outs, trailing 1-0... Bruins' Gabrielle Maurice homers with one out to tie game in bottom of seventh... No further damage, so Bruins and Ducks going extras... Top 8: Lilley slugs two-out double... Ground-out ends Duck threat... Allexis Bennett leads off bottom half with single for UCLA... Bunt attempt popped up, one out... Fielder's choice at second leaves Bruins with runner on first, two out... Inning ends with UCLA runner being called out for leaving early on steal attempt... Top 9: UO gets first batter aboard on infield hit... Infield pop for first out... K for second out... And another K for third out... Bottom 9: Mysha Sataraka leads off with double... Tautalafua up, bunts potential winning run to third (with one out)... Madeline Jelenicki up... ESPN announcers suggest walking next two batters to set up force at home... Ducks opt against this strategy... Jelenicki singles home winning run, 2-1 Bruins... Game 3 coming up!
Auburn has come back from an opening-game loss to Arizona to win its super-regional (see table below)...
Comments during Arizona-Auburn Game 3:
Game 3 between Arizona and Auburn is underway... Auburn is the home team... Kaylee Carlson starts in the circle, after Makayla Martin had pitched in Game 2... Arizona goes down 1-2-3 in the first... O'Toole Time for Arizona in the circle... HBP to leadoff hitter Tiffany Howard... Wild-pitched to second... Kasey Cooper singles to left, driving in game's first run. Cooper to second on throw home and takes third on hard-to-handle pitch... Auburn leads 1-0... Emily Carosone up... Another HBP... Sac-fly to right by Carlee Wallace makes it 2-0... Carasone out for leaving early trying to steal second... Jade Rhodes to first on strike-out that gets away from catcher. Auburn will thus get four outs this at-bat... And that fourth out comes quickly on a grounder to third... Next couple of innings go uneventfully... ESPN graphic with two out in Arizona third: Auburn defense has recorded 35 of 50 outs this series via ground-out... Auburn with runners at second and third after Cooper single and Carsone double, one out, bottom three... Grounder to third, throw comes home, gets away, both runners score. Auburn leads 4-0, runner to second... Runner to third on ground-out... Nice play by Arizona 2B Ashleigh Hughes to short-hop line-drive and throw runner out at first... Mo Mercado with one-out double in top of fourth. Is Arizona in the market for some runs? Nope, side retired... Nancy Bowling in to pitch for Wildcats in bottom of fourth. Coach Mike Candrea tells ESPN interviewers, "We have some fresh pitchers" who can give Auburn hitters a different look... Haley Fagan solo shot in bottom of fifth makes it 5-0 Auburn... Top 6: Arizona strings together some singles for a run, two out... Hard grounder to first ends half-inning for Wildcats, as they trail 5-1... Auburn adds run in bottom of sixth to increase its lead to 6-1... Zona down to its final three outs... First two Wildcats hit singles, Tamara Statman to center and Dotson via the infield variety... Eva Watson makes it three straight singles (hers to outfield), loading bases... Mandie Perez at the plate, lines out to third, with Statman safely scampering back to the bag... Hughes lines out to second... Mercado hits grounder a short distance in front of home, catcher picks up ball, steps on plate and the game is over... Auburn wins game, 6-1, and series...
SEC will have four teams in Women's College World Series, but two of them had to come back from losing super-regional openers, LSU and Auburn. The other two SEC squads, Georgia and Alabama, swept their respective supers... We'll also have one team each from the B1G (Michigan), Big 12 (Oklahoma), ACC (Florida State), and Pac 12 (Oregon or UCLA).
Comments during Arizona-Auburn Game 2:
Arizona leads Auburn 1-0 in Game 2 of the teams' series, as the Wildcats seek to close things out... Auburn gets a leadoff double from Emily Carosone in the top of the fourth. Carosone was initially called out at second, but was given the bag due to obstruction by the first-baseperson who was ruled to be in the runner's way when the two made contact... Carlee Wallace then HBP... Jade Rhodes pops up bunt attempt for first out... Haley Fagan up, doubles over CF's head to the wall, two score, giving Tigers 2-1 lead... Madi Gipson up, flares a single to right, runners at the corners... Taylor McQuillin replacing Danielle O'Toole in the circle for Arizona (O'Toole's Game-2 difficulties reminiscent of second outing vs. Tennessee in regionals, but Zona hung on in that one)... Whitney Jordan up, HBP, loading bases... Jenna Abbott to pinch hit... Pop to shallow left doesn't advance runners... Tiffany Howard flares single to left-center, just beyond shortstop's glove, putting Auburn up 4-1. Howard takes second on throw in, leaving runners at second and third... Kasey Cooper up, pops to short to end half-inning... Katiyana Mauga leads off bottom of fourth for Arizona with deep fly to right that goes off fielder's mitt and rolls to wall. Mauga gets to second; would have been a tough catch, but ruled an error... Three straight ground-outs end Wildcat threat... Auburn loads bases in top of fifth with two outs for Jordan... Strikes out looking... Auburn pitcher Makayla Martin starts out cruising in bottom of fifth, retiring first two batters and getting 0-2 count on third... Martin then walks batter and hits next one, putting two on... Force at second ends inning... Bottom 6: One-out infield error followed by ground single to left gives Arizona runners on first and second... Ground-out to first advances runners to second and third with two out... Alexis Dotson, who doubled in Arizona's only run thus far, at the plate... Dotson grounds out, ending inning... Wildcats down to their final three outs in Game 2... Leadoff single, followed by fly-out to center... Force at second and infield line-out end game, with Tigers prevailing 4-1... Auburn and Arizona going to a decisive Game 3...
Michigan has swept its series from Missouri, winning 5-4 today. Trailing 4-1, the Wolverines scored four runs in the top of the seventh, then withstood a Tiger rally that put runners on first and third (here's the final out). Michigan's four-run rally included five hits -- two after two were out -- and a Mizzou wild pitch that allowed the go-ahead run to score.
| Teams | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Georgia (16) at Florida (1)* | Georgia | Georgia | --- |
| Missouri (15) at Michigan (2)*** | Michigan | Michigan | --- |
| LA-Lafayette (14) at Oklahoma (3)* | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | --- |
| Arizona at Auburn (4)*** | Arizona | Auburn | Auburn |
| UCLA (12) at Oregon (5)*** | Oregon | UCLA | UCLA |
| Washington (11) at Alabama (6)** | Alabama | Alabama | --- |
| LSU (10) at James Madison (7)** | J. Madison | LSU | LSU |
| Utah at Florida State (8)** | Florida St. | Florida St. | --- |
**Game 1 Friday, Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 on Saturday.
***Game 1 Saturday, Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 on Sunday.
Here's a link to the bracket on the official NCAA website, for those who would like to follow the super-regionals that way.