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2016 WCWS Championship Round -- Game 1

We're moments away from Game 1 of the two-out-of-three championship series between Auburn and Oklahoma. I'm going to pick the Sooners, based on steadiness of pitching in the latter part of the season. In early May, Auburn's pitching imploded for a time. Also, the way the Tigers gave up a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh yesterday to Florida State doesn't inspire confidence...

With Oklahoma as the home team for Game 1 and pitching stalwart Paige Parker in the circle, Auburn comes up to bat... A Tiger threat is extinguished on an unusual double-play, ending with a runner thrown out attempting to go from second to third...

Lexi Davis with the surprise pitching start for Auburn... OU gets a runner on in the first, but doesn't score...

Sydney Romero's three-run blast in the bottom of the third continues to hold up, as OU leads 3-0...

Auburn down to its final hacks in the top of the seventh... Leadoff walk... Jade Rhodes homers over the center-field wall, cutting the Tiger deficit to 3-2... Still no outs... Base-hit up the middle... K for first out... Parker airmails throw to first on soft grounder. Instead of being one out away from Game-1 victory, Sooners now face Tiger runners on second and third with one out... Wild play prevents tying run from scoring... Sooner first-baseperson Shay Knighten short-hops hard liner, immediately throws home for successful tag play on runner... Two down... Had Knighten tried to step over to first for out there, extra split-second almost certainly would have allowed runner from third to score... Weak infield pop gives opener to Oklahoma, 3-2.

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