Skip to main content

2024 WCWS -- Day 1

Florida takes the nightcap with a 1-0 win over Oklahoma State... Katie Kistler's B5 solo-shot down the right-field line, almost to the refreshment stand behind the fence (video) is all the Gators need...

Teagan Kavan's one-hitter led Texas to a 4-0 victory over Stanford...

Oklahoma briefly fell behind Duke 1-0 in the second inning, but the Sooners roared back with 4 in the third inning, 3 in the fourth, and 2 in the sixth for a 9-1 run-rule victory...

This year's Women's College World Series will have a late start. The opening game between Alabama and UCLA, scheduled for 11:00 am Central, is currently in a rain delay... It has just been announced that the game will start at 12:36 Central...

Alabama-UCLA underway... Tide with a one-out infield single in T1, on grounder up the middle (possibly deflected by pitcher) that did not allow middle infielders enough time to get the batter at first... Next two Bama batters go quietly... B1, Bruins get runner to second with one out, but don't score... T2, Bama with two-out single, comes to nothing... If you blinked, you missed UCLA's B2, that's how quickly it went... T3, again Bama gets single, but nothing comes of it... B3, UCLA with bona fide rally; one-out HBP and two singles (plus slight bobble by right-fielder on second single) allows first run of game... Bruins lead 1-0 with runners at the corners... Grounder for double-play (1-6-3) ends UCLA threat... T4, one-out walk for Tide... Runner thrown out on attempted steal of second. Throw was there well ahead of runner, making it look like an easy call. On replay, however, runner may have gotten hand in before tag. No challenge or review... K for third out... B4, nothing "brewin' " for UCLA... T5, Bama with leadoff single, as hard grounder deflects off pitcher's glove into right field... Pitching change for UCLA, with Taylor Tinsley coming in for Kaitlyn Terry... Runner to second on bunt (one out)... Unusual play: Batter bloops single to shallow left-center, runner on second can't leave while waiting to see if ball is caught, so can't advance when ball falls in for hit. Runners now on first and second... Walk to load bases... Tinsley a bit wild, as count goes to 2-0 on next hitter... Now 3-0... 3-1... 3-2... Weak infield pop for second out... 1-2 count... Sharp liner to RF on one hop for single, driving in tying run, 1-1. Runner trying to score from 2B called out at home to end half-inning. Bama challenging call, but catcher had ball well before runner approached home, so should be no problem with obstruction. Tag looks OK, too. Challenge denied... B5, another "blink and you'll miss it" half-inning for UCLA... T6, Tide can't take advantage of HBP... B6, Bruins get key hit of the game, a three-run blast to left by Jordan Woolery with two outs, to go ahead 4-1 (video)... T7, Bama goes down without scoring, as UCLA prevails 4-1...

Popular posts from this blog

Pitching Star NiJaree Canady Reportedly in the Transfer Portal

Stanford pitching ace NiJaree Canady has reportedly entered the transfer portal ( link ), having completed two seasons in the circle for the Cardinal. Stanford has made the WCWS in both of Canady's seasons on the team. Another school hit hard by the transfer portal is the University of Washington, with an exodus of eight Huskies . This list of the top ten players in the portal includes four from UW. Today is the final day of the 30-day window for players to enter the portal.

NiJaree Canady Transferring to -- of All Places -- Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady, whose sub-1.00 ERA helped lead Stanford to the Women's College World Series in both her years with the Cardinal, announced on July 24 that she is transferring to Texas Tech. I've lived in Lubbock for 27 years and can say that the town has been improving with a greater selection of restaurants and shops, and a new downtown performing arts center. Likewise, nice new facilities have been dotting the Texas Tech campus . Still, it seems unlikely that Canady would have become a Red Raider without the $1 million annual Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal for her, made possible by the donation of a Texas Tech alumni couple. So stunning an event is this, even in the ever-changing world of collegiate athletics, that the New York Times  even ran a behind-the-scenes story on Canady's path to Texas Tech. I look forward to being in the stands to watch Canady pitch next spring, an opportunity I never expected to have.

Jordy Bahl Transferring from Oklahoma to Nebraska

The college softball world has thrown us a "Curve Bahl," if you will. Such is the unexpected news that Oklahoma ace Jordy Bahl has announced that she will transfer to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Bahl is from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. Three thoughts jump out at me: Bahl was absolutely indispensable to the Sooners' 61-1 national championship season, coming up with numerous clutch strikeouts in tight tournament games against Clemson (super-regionals, Game 2 ) and Stanford ( WCWS semifinals ).    OU benefited greatly this season via the transfer portal, bringing in Haley Lee  from Texas A&M,  Alex Storako from Michigan, and Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres from Arizona State. Bahl's transfer is the first major one in the modern portal era (to my knowledge) in the other direction. Nebraska becomes an instant national championship contender, in my mind. Other players around the country may find it attractive to join Bahl in Lincoln but even if