Game 1 between Florida and Oklahoma will be starting momentarily. As we noted yesterday, we are guaranteed that, for the fifth year in a row, the champion will be either Florida (2014 and 2015 champions) or Oklahoma (2013 and 2016 champions). Florida will be the home team in tonight's opener...
TOP 1 -- Florida's Kelly Barnhill easily retires the Sooners, including two strikeouts.
BOTTOM 1 -- Paige Lowary, OU's fireball-throwing closer (approaching 75 mph on her pitches), is the surprise starter... Gators down in order...
TOP 2 -- Uneventful again...
BOTTOM 2 -- Interesting explanation by ESPN announcers of Sooners' defensive shift when Gators send up certain right-handed hitters. Basically, OU goes without a left-fielder, bringing her into the infield. Three infielders play to the right of second base and two play to the left of it... UF retired on three grounders...
TOP 3 -- Still no baserunners...
BOTTOM 3 -- With two outs, we have our first baserunner, as the Gators' Justine McLean beats out a short chopper... Nothing comes of it, as OU shortstop Kelsey Arnold makes nice grab of foul pop-up near grandstand...
TOP 4 -- Barnhill strikes out the side, raising her number of K's tonight to 7...
BOTTOM 4 -- Nicole DeWitt doubles off the wall in right-center for Florida with one out... A strikeout, Lowary's first of the evening, for the second out... Aleshia Ocasio with hard single up the middle, driving in DeWitt for 1-0 Gator lead. Ocasio to second on throw home... Another K...
TOP 5 -- Nicole Pendley with one-out double to wall in right-center, for Sooners' first hit... Sydney Romero singles to center to tie the game, 1-1... Popped bunt and strikeout end the half-inning...
BOTTOM 5 -- Three up, three down...
TOP 6 -- Nicole Mendes drives ball into right-field stands for 2-1 OU lead, with one out... No further scoring...
BOTTOM 6 -- Paige Parker out to pitch for Sooners... K on check-swing that was ruled a swing... Another K, swinging... DeWitt pops to 2B-person in shallow right...
TOP 7 -- Fale Aviu with lead-off single to left for OU... Nothing comes of it...
BOTTOM 7 -- Gators down to final three outs... Lead-off walk for Florida on 3-2 count... Force at second for first out... Pop to short for second out... Sophia Reynoso, also on 3-2 pitch, lofts shallow fly to left-center; outfielders, playing deep, can't quite get to it, bringing in tying run (2-2). Reynoso on second... Inning over, going to extras...
TOP 8 -- Delanie Gourley out to pitch for UF... Two grounders to short and a strikeout to end the half-inning...
BOTTOM 8 -- With one out, Amanda Lorenz drives ball deep to right for hit, but thrown out trying to stretch single into double. Two outs... Walk... K to end inning...
TOP 9 -- Lead-off hitter grounds out; throw was a little away from bag, but caught by 1B-person, who gets tangled with batter, and ump rules tag was applied... Next two batters also retired...
BOTTOM 9 -- Nothing doing...
TOP 10 -- Nothing doing...
BOTTOM 10 -- Two-out single for Gators... Pop-up ends inning...
TOP 11 -- With one out, OU's Arnold gets to first on dropped third-strike... Nothing comes of it...
BOTTOM 11 -- With one out, DeWitt's hard grounder ricochets off OU 1B-person for error... K looking at 3-2 pitch for second out... Fly to center ends inning...
TOP 12 -- Shay Knighten with lead-off double down left-field line... Aviu with two-run blast to right, 4-2 Sooners... Nothing further...
BOTTOM 12 -- Florida gets lead-off walk... Reynoso launches flare to right, just eluding OU 2B-person's glove... First and second with none out... Popped bunt for first out... K for second out... The dangerous Lorenz coming up... Lowary, the starting pitcher, coming back in... Lorenz doubles to wall in left-center, driving home two. Tied 4-4... Lorenz to third on throw home... Ground-out to third ends inning... We keep going!
TOP 13 -- Nothing going on...
BOTTOM 14 -- Zilch...
TOP 14 -- Bupkis...
BOTTOM 14 -- Nada...
TOP 15 -- Romero with a one-out single for OU... Two-out HBP gives Sooners runners on first and second. Per ESPN announcers, this is first free base (walk or HBP) allowed by Florida... Gourley has pitch slip out of hand, advancing runners a base each (at-bat ends up in a walk, anyway)... Bases loaded for Mendes... Force at third on grounder ends threat...
BOTTOM 15 -- Lead-off walk for Gators... Lorenz up... Hits perfect double-play ball, grounder to SS who steps on second and then throws to first... K to end inning...
TOP 16 -- Caleigh Clifton lines a double to the wall in left-center for OU... With a 2-0 count on Knighten, Gators bring back starting pitcher Barnhill... Knighten walks... Aviu gives another ball a good ride, but caught in right-center. Both runners tag-up and advance to second and third... Pendley draws what Jessica Mendoza calls an "unintentional, intentional walk"... Up comes Romero with bases loaded... Force at home on grounder to first, for second out... PH Kylie Lundberg at the plate... Strikeout... Sooners have no hits tonight with two outs...
BOTTOM 16 -- Janell Wheaton flares a one-out single to right for Gators... Traditional 6-4-3 double-play ends inning...
TOP 17 -- Two-out single, Sooners' first hit of any kind with two outs... HBP to next batter... "Knight-en Shining Armor" with three-run blast to left-field stands... 7-4 Sooners... Ground-out to end half-inning...
BOTTOM 17 -- Lead-off batter aboard on dribbler toward first that Lowary bobbles. Ruled a hit... Grounder to right finds it way through to outfield. Gators will runners on first and second, none out... Chelsea Herndon at the plate... Fielder's choice at second, but Herndon beats throw to first to avoid yet another double-play... McLean coming up (with Lorenz on-deck)... McLean beats out chopper to short... Lorenz up with bases loaded and one out... 0-2 on Lorenz... Lorenz sac-fly to center scores one (7-5 Sooners)... OU makes smart decision to throw to third, not home, keeping other runners on first and second... Kayli Kvistad up... 1-2 count... Strikeout swinging... The game that wouldn't end, ends! Good night folks!
TOP 1 -- Florida's Kelly Barnhill easily retires the Sooners, including two strikeouts.
BOTTOM 1 -- Paige Lowary, OU's fireball-throwing closer (approaching 75 mph on her pitches), is the surprise starter... Gators down in order...
TOP 2 -- Uneventful again...
BOTTOM 2 -- Interesting explanation by ESPN announcers of Sooners' defensive shift when Gators send up certain right-handed hitters. Basically, OU goes without a left-fielder, bringing her into the infield. Three infielders play to the right of second base and two play to the left of it... UF retired on three grounders...
TOP 3 -- Still no baserunners...
BOTTOM 3 -- With two outs, we have our first baserunner, as the Gators' Justine McLean beats out a short chopper... Nothing comes of it, as OU shortstop Kelsey Arnold makes nice grab of foul pop-up near grandstand...
TOP 4 -- Barnhill strikes out the side, raising her number of K's tonight to 7...
BOTTOM 4 -- Nicole DeWitt doubles off the wall in right-center for Florida with one out... A strikeout, Lowary's first of the evening, for the second out... Aleshia Ocasio with hard single up the middle, driving in DeWitt for 1-0 Gator lead. Ocasio to second on throw home... Another K...
TOP 5 -- Nicole Pendley with one-out double to wall in right-center, for Sooners' first hit... Sydney Romero singles to center to tie the game, 1-1... Popped bunt and strikeout end the half-inning...
BOTTOM 5 -- Three up, three down...
TOP 6 -- Nicole Mendes drives ball into right-field stands for 2-1 OU lead, with one out... No further scoring...
BOTTOM 6 -- Paige Parker out to pitch for Sooners... K on check-swing that was ruled a swing... Another K, swinging... DeWitt pops to 2B-person in shallow right...
TOP 7 -- Fale Aviu with lead-off single to left for OU... Nothing comes of it...
BOTTOM 7 -- Gators down to final three outs... Lead-off walk for Florida on 3-2 count... Force at second for first out... Pop to short for second out... Sophia Reynoso, also on 3-2 pitch, lofts shallow fly to left-center; outfielders, playing deep, can't quite get to it, bringing in tying run (2-2). Reynoso on second... Inning over, going to extras...
TOP 8 -- Delanie Gourley out to pitch for UF... Two grounders to short and a strikeout to end the half-inning...
BOTTOM 8 -- With one out, Amanda Lorenz drives ball deep to right for hit, but thrown out trying to stretch single into double. Two outs... Walk... K to end inning...
TOP 9 -- Lead-off hitter grounds out; throw was a little away from bag, but caught by 1B-person, who gets tangled with batter, and ump rules tag was applied... Next two batters also retired...
BOTTOM 9 -- Nothing doing...
TOP 10 -- Nothing doing...
BOTTOM 10 -- Two-out single for Gators... Pop-up ends inning...
TOP 11 -- With one out, OU's Arnold gets to first on dropped third-strike... Nothing comes of it...
BOTTOM 11 -- With one out, DeWitt's hard grounder ricochets off OU 1B-person for error... K looking at 3-2 pitch for second out... Fly to center ends inning...
TOP 12 -- Shay Knighten with lead-off double down left-field line... Aviu with two-run blast to right, 4-2 Sooners... Nothing further...
BOTTOM 12 -- Florida gets lead-off walk... Reynoso launches flare to right, just eluding OU 2B-person's glove... First and second with none out... Popped bunt for first out... K for second out... The dangerous Lorenz coming up... Lowary, the starting pitcher, coming back in... Lorenz doubles to wall in left-center, driving home two. Tied 4-4... Lorenz to third on throw home... Ground-out to third ends inning... We keep going!
TOP 13 -- Nothing going on...
BOTTOM 14 -- Zilch...
TOP 14 -- Bupkis...
BOTTOM 14 -- Nada...
TOP 15 -- Romero with a one-out single for OU... Two-out HBP gives Sooners runners on first and second. Per ESPN announcers, this is first free base (walk or HBP) allowed by Florida... Gourley has pitch slip out of hand, advancing runners a base each (at-bat ends up in a walk, anyway)... Bases loaded for Mendes... Force at third on grounder ends threat...
BOTTOM 15 -- Lead-off walk for Gators... Lorenz up... Hits perfect double-play ball, grounder to SS who steps on second and then throws to first... K to end inning...
TOP 16 -- Caleigh Clifton lines a double to the wall in left-center for OU... With a 2-0 count on Knighten, Gators bring back starting pitcher Barnhill... Knighten walks... Aviu gives another ball a good ride, but caught in right-center. Both runners tag-up and advance to second and third... Pendley draws what Jessica Mendoza calls an "unintentional, intentional walk"... Up comes Romero with bases loaded... Force at home on grounder to first, for second out... PH Kylie Lundberg at the plate... Strikeout... Sooners have no hits tonight with two outs...
BOTTOM 16 -- Janell Wheaton flares a one-out single to right for Gators... Traditional 6-4-3 double-play ends inning...
TOP 17 -- Two-out single, Sooners' first hit of any kind with two outs... HBP to next batter... "Knight-en Shining Armor" with three-run blast to left-field stands... 7-4 Sooners... Ground-out to end half-inning...
BOTTOM 17 -- Lead-off batter aboard on dribbler toward first that Lowary bobbles. Ruled a hit... Grounder to right finds it way through to outfield. Gators will runners on first and second, none out... Chelsea Herndon at the plate... Fielder's choice at second, but Herndon beats throw to first to avoid yet another double-play... McLean coming up (with Lorenz on-deck)... McLean beats out chopper to short... Lorenz up with bases loaded and one out... 0-2 on Lorenz... Lorenz sac-fly to center scores one (7-5 Sooners)... OU makes smart decision to throw to third, not home, keeping other runners on first and second... Kayli Kvistad up... 1-2 count... Strikeout swinging... The game that wouldn't end, ends! Good night folks!