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ABOUT
Another week of the 2019 season has passed and, as has seemingly become the season’s theme, it was quite the busy–and crazy–week across the Division I softball landscape.
Some of the nation’s top teams endured through challenges, while some ultimately fell. And yes, in keeping with the year’s theme, there were plenty of upsets to go around.
Here’s your recap of Week 5….
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How sweep it is, how sweep it is…
Despite the offseason turmoil surrounding the program, and a load of questions from their fanbase, the Oregon Ducks still have a decided home-field advantage when they take the diamond in Jane Sanders Stadium.
A raucous crowd, albeit perhaps a smaller one, remains a part of the team’s home games; that crowd, though, couldn’t help the Ducks this weekend when Oklahoma State came to town, as the Cowgirls swept through the three-game set between the two games, twice beating Ducks ace Jordan Dail.
The Cowgirls shut out the Ducks in the first game of the series, later winning offensive battles 7-6 and 9-6.
Interestingly, Oregon never threw theoretical #2 pitcher Maddie MacGrandle, but instead opted to start true freshman Kailey Krueger in the series finale.
Oklahoma State was far from perfect, but Oregon did not take advantage of opportunities and were just overmatched.
The sweep does not bode well for the Ducks when Pac-12 play begins, while OSU now boasts a resume-boosting trio of victories.
The Seminoles suffer in the desert
A week-long trip under the Arizona sun got off to a particularly non-illustrious start for the #1 team in the nation in the Florida State Seminoles, with Grand Canyon earning a 5-3 victory over FSU to kick off a midweek doubleheader.
The ‘Noles came back with a 6-inning, run-rule win in Game 2 of the doubleheader, but the terrific upset loss gained headlines as it was the defending national champions’ first loss of the season.
Later traveling to Tucson for a three-game set against Arizona, the Noles took the series with a 5-3 victory on Friday and a tight 4-3 win to close out the series on Sunday, but the series’ middle game was a particularly embarrassing one for the Seminoles, as they lost 11-3 in a five-inning, run-rule result.
It was the most lopsided non-conference loss since an 11-0 defeat at the hands of Oregon in May of 2017.
Tennessee is for real
Perennially a contender, the Tennessee Lady Vols spent much of the early season as a Top 10-ranked team, slotting in as the second or third SEC team in various rankings.
