The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, 2022 edition, officially kicked off on Thursday in Cathedral City, California. In addition to that celebrated tournament, there was a good bit of action across the country. Here are some of the highlights from Thursday’s college softball offerings…
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1. Ashley Rogers, Back in the Circle
Tennessee pitcher Ashley Rogers missed the majority of last week’s St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational with a medical issue, but she returned to the circle for the Lady Vols to kick off the team’s stay at the Mary Nutter tournament against BYU. Rogers went the distance for the Lady Vols in the win, throwing seven innings of 3-hit, 3-run ball with eight strikeouts to her credit. The Lady Vols were undefeated on Day 1 of the Nutter, posting a 2-0 record on Thursday.
2. Everything is Al-Wright in Durham
Duke sophomore pitcher Jala Wright held the Army Black Knights hitless on Thursday night, recording her first career no-hitter and just the third no-no in Duke program history in the five-inning, run-rule-shortened matchup. Wright collected seven strikeouts in the performance, which also happened to be the highest number in that category for a no-hitter in Blue Devil history. Duke moved to 10-2 on the year with the win, while Wright – a former Michigan State transfer – moved to 2-0 this season.
3. The Tide Rolls in Cajunland
A crowd of more than 2,200 showed up for the Ragin Cajuns’ first matchup against Alabama, but it was the Crimson Tide that stole the show on the field. Alabama scored nine runs in the game, on the back of a 7-run third inning, to take home the run-rule victory over the hosting Cajuns. Lexi Kilfoyl threw the complete game in the circle, notching three strikeouts and allowing five hits and one run; Kilfoyl also went 2-3 at the plate with two RBIs. The two teams will meet again as part of the Mardi Gras Mambo later this weekend.
4. My, how the turntables turn
Stereotypically, teams located in the north travel to the south in the early portion of the season to play games in warmer locales – and where winter weather won’t play a factor in game conditions. The exact opposite was the case for Creighton and South Dakota State this weekend though; both teams were scheduled to play in Denton, Texas at a tournament hosted by North Texas, but that tournament was canceled due to weather conditions over the weekend. Instead, SDSU will now travel down to Creighton and play a 3-game series head-to-head against the Bluejays.
Yale, the fourth team scheduled to play in the North Texas tournament, will now open their season next weekend.
5. Erin Coffel’s big day
Kentucky sophomore shortstop Erin Coffel has touted a big bat since she got to Lexington, and the Cats infielder really showed off that skill in a doubleheader on Thursday. UK played Jacksonville and Florida Atlantic down in Boca Raton, and Coffel went off at the plate. She recorded two home runs in a run-rule win over Jacksonville and added her third longball of the day against FAU. She ended the day with a total of eight RBIs and tied the UK single-game record with six RBIs against Jacksonville.
6. Tennessee’s offense rolling right along
Ashley Rogers’ return was a headliner for the Lady Vols on Thursday, but the UT bats combined for 21 runs in two games to kick off the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City. Two players – Kaitlin Parsons and Zaida Puni – each collected four hits on the day, including Puni leading the Lady Vols with six RBIs between the two affairs. Kiki Milloy stole three bases, scored four runs, and hit the game-winning grand slam that sealed a run-rule victory over UC Davis.
7. The records wait one more day
Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins had a chance to break the all-time wins record late Thursday night, but flight delays and cold temperatures ended that possibility before the Wolverines even got to Durham. Nearly two hours of a delayed flight and what would have been an hours-long wait in frigid weather for the Wolverines’ would-be opponent led Army to bow out of the late-night matchup and pushed Hutchins’ potential record-breaker to Friday afternoon at the earliest.
Oklahoma is playing out at the Mary Nutter tournament this weekend, and the Sooners and Jocelyn Alo will kick off their weekend slate on Friday. One more home run gives Alo sole possession of first place on the all-time home run list.
8. Cal State Fullerton beats Arizona in a duel
Cal State Fullerton was on a roll to open the Mary Nutter tournament, and the Titans started with a win over Arizona to provide an exclamation point for the program’s first day in Cathedral City. Prior to a win over San Diego State to end the day – a win that included a 5-run 5th inning for the Titans – it was the opener that saw the Titans’ finest performance of the day. Myka Sutherlin was stellar in the circle, limiting the Wildcats to four hits and no runs while collecting ten strikeouts in a complete game win. A hearty pitcher’s duel, the game’s only run came on an RBI single that included a throwing error from the Arizona outfield.
The Titans are now 9-3 on the year and riding a 4-game winning streak into Friday’s action.
9. Stanford’s 10-run 2nd inning with a lot of small-ball
Stanford run-ruled Saint Mary’s in a 14-1 final score, scoring in each of the first three innings including a 10-run second inning, and the Cardinal got there with a lot of small ball. Stanford utilized a combination of free passes, sacrifices, and RBI singles to put up their onslaught in the second inning. Extra base hits accounted for the team’s offense in the first and third innings, but their execution in that second inning added an exclamation mark to their final score.
10. Teams COVID-ed out of Week 3
Georgia Southern had to cancel a midweek game against South Carolina due to COVID protocols, and the Eagles also pulled out of their scheduled weekend tournament in Athens, GA. SIU-Edwardsville – originally scheduled to play in Hattiesburg at a tournament hosted by Southern Miss – pulled out of participation there due to the same protocols.
