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WCWS Finals -- Game 2 (2019)

I'm a bit late getting on the blog, sorry.

UCLA (the home team tonight) leads 3-1, with all the scoring via solo homers:
  • UCLA's first two batters of the evening, Bubba Nickles and Briana Perez slug back-to-back homers, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead. It could have been a lot worse for Oklahoma, as UCLA loaded the bases on an infield single (actually, an error), double (by the suddenly power-hitting Brianna Tautalafua), and walk, but with two outs, the Sooners' Shay Knighten grabbed a hard grounder down the line -- which potentially could have driven in two runs -- and got the final out.
  • Sydney Romero homers for OU in the top of the third, to cut Sooners' deficit to 2-1 (she also led off the game with a double). UCLA SS snared a hard liner on the play before, otherwise Romero's blast could have been a two-run homer.
  • Aaliyah Jordan homers for UCLA in the bottom of the third to make it 3-1. Bruins also load the bases in the inning, but don't score further.
OU Top 4: Sooners with a one-out rally going. Fale Aviu single drives home runner from second to make it 3-2 UCLA. Passed ball advances tying run to second... Lynnsie Elam doubles in tying run (3-3). UCLA LF Kelli Godin leaps in air and nearly makes great catch, but ball hits heel of her mitt and bounces away... Ground single by Grace Lyons to left-center puts runners on the corners... Romero (halfway to the cycle) coming up... Lyons steals second in attempt to draw throw... Bruins walk Romero to load bases... Caleigh Clifton up... K for second out... Jocelyn Alo up... Grounds back to pitcher for third out... Tied 3-3...

 UCLA Bottom 4: Jordan with two-out HBP... Rachel Garcia up... Walks. Pitches gets away, so Jordan advances to third...  K ends threat...

 OU Top 5: Two-out walk... Wild pitch advances runner to second... Four-pitch walk puts runners on first and second... Flare to SS ends threat...

 UCLA Bottom 5: Tautalafua belts one halfway up the LF bleachers, putting Bruins back up, 4-3. She started the postseason off 0-for-26, but hit a homer last night and has hit a double and homer tonight... Nothing further for UCLA...

 OU Top 6: Uneventful...

 UCLA Bottom 6: Jordan with two-out line-single up the middle... Brings up Garcia... Lines out to Romero at third to end inning...

 OU Top 7: Sooners need a run to keep their season alive... Alo leads off... Puts a bit of a charge into one, but caught by CF Nickles... Green up next... 0-2 count... Drives one to warning track in left, caught by Godin... Down to "Big Play" Shea Knighten... The senior homers to tie game! 4-4... Can't help notice that all three Sooners this inning have hit deep fly balls (albeit two for outs)... Nicole Mendes grounds back to pitcher to end the half-inning.

 UCLA Bottom 7: Can the Bruins answer Sooners' magic with some of their own? One run will win the WCWS... Taylor Pack packs a little heat with a sharp line single to left... Tautalafua up... Bunts runner to second (one out)... Colleen Sullivan up... Grounds to SS, Pack running on contact, thrown out at third... Sullivan to second on wild pitch... Kinsley Washington flares a single to left, Jacqui Prober (pinch runner for Sullivan) beats throw to plate. Ballgame! UCLA wins 5-4 to gather school's 12th national title... Last two UCLA titles bookend the 2010's (2010 and 2019)... Sooners' amazing senior class leaves with two titles (2016 and 2017)... 

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