Today's action will feature three super-regional series that have gone to a decisive Game 3. Interestingly, the top three teams in some of the preseason polls -- Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma -- are all playing today. The Red Raiders are facing Florida in today's first game, whereas the Longhorns will face Arizona State, and the Sooners will face Mississippi State...
Mississippi State-Oklahoma
Bulldogs off to a quick 2-0 lead in T1... Sooners with a threat in B2 off of Delainey Everett, with runners on first and second and two out... Lexi McDaniel, who blasted a pinch-hit homer yesterday, will try to duplicate that feat... Grounds out weakly to third, still 2-0 MSU... Bulldogs add third run in T3, lead 3-0... Still 3-0 MSU as it bats in T4... Paige Ernstes homer makes it 4-0 Mississippi State... Berkley Zache replacing Miali Guachino in the circle for OU...
Texas Tech-Florida
Gators are the home team. Keagan Rothrock starting her third game of the series in the circle... T1, first-pitch HBP to Mia Williams... Fifth time the ex-Gator Williams has been hit this series, raising questions about some bad blood in the situation... With one out, Jackie Lis doubles on deep fly to right, Williams to third... Jasmyn Burns with a sharp single to left for a quick 2-0 Texas Tech lead... Kaitlyn Terry singles to left, putting runners on the corners... Raiders end up with 3-0 lead... B1, Terry starting in the circle rather than NiJaree Canady, noteworthy because many would consider Canady the foundation of the Texas Tech team, but she hasn't been her sharpest lately... Leadoff walk... Jocelyn Erickson, one of yesterday's offensive stars for UF, with a line single to center, putting runners on first and second... Fly-out to center, runner on second tags and advances to third... Line out to right, no advancement of runners... Kendall Grover with two-out, two-run line double that gets to the wall in left-center... Tech lead cut to 3-2... Kenleight Cahalan, another of yesterday's UF offensive stars, homers to put UF on top 4-3... And it's only the first inning! Canady warming up... Madison Walker doubles to the wall in right-center... Terry coming out in favor of Canady... Neither starting pitcher was fooling many batters; Tech's advantage is greater depth on the pitching staff... Lightning detected in the area, requiring at least a 30-minute delay... Well, it's a chance to catch our breath after such an eventful (and not yet complete) first inning!
After a near-three-hour delay, play resumes. Florida batter fouls out near shallow left for final out of B1... T2, leadoff walk for Tech, bringing up Williams... Runner steals second... Rothrock continues to pitch Williams low, 2-0 count. Williams hits long two-run homer to center, 5-4 Raiders... Another walk... Gator meeting in the circle, as Rothrock not throwing strikes... Lis homers to left, now 7-4 Raiders, still no outs in T2... Rothrock not throwing a lot of strikes and when she does, Tech goes yard! Grounder to second for first out... Nothing further for Red Raiders... B2, Gators facing Canady... Leadoff single for Gabi Comia on chopper that bounces over shortstop's head... Canady airmails pitch to backstop, Comia taking second... Taylor Shumaker walks, bringing up Erickson, the potential tying run... Terry back in for Canady... Erickson strikes out swinging... Ava Brown up... Hits three-run shot, clearing LF fence by perhaps a few feet, now 7-7... It looks like this could end up a 19-17 game or something such... Canady back in... Grounder to second for second out... K to retire side...
These innings are so long, I'm having to devote a new paragraph to each! T3, Taylor Pannell leading off... Homers to left on 3-1 pitch, 8-7 Tech... Jessica Mendoza points out that Tech batters are seeing Rothrock for their ninth round of at-bats, an extreme version of batters' time-through-the-order advantage! Leah Stevens replacing Rothrock... Canady batting, strikes out for first out... Slap-hit slow chopper, Gator SS can't field it... Williams up... Strikes out for second out... Tech steals second, as pitcher "intercepts" catcher's throw to second (although no way to know if throw would have been on time)... Hard grounder to short not playable (error), putting two on... Lis hits her second homer, making it 11-7 Tech... Burns flies to left to end the half-inning... B3, the next pitcher who settles down and starts retiring batters will be the first! Canady pitching for Tech... Cahalan strikes out... Walker flies to left... Ella Wesolowski ground-out back to Canady. A 1-2-3 inning!
T4, Pannell with her second homer, a two-run shot, now 13-7 Raiders... Allison Sparkman replaces Stevens in circle for UF...