Women’s College World Series… Day 3 (UPDATED ALL GAMES): “Elimination Saturday” Sees 4 Teams Survive, 4 Others Go Home Including #2 Seed!

After Friday night’s wins by unseeded James Madison and #3 seed Alabama gave them Saturday off, it meant four pretty good teams from this group—seeds #1 Oklahoma, #2 UCLA, #5 Oklahoma State, #10 Florida State, #11 Arizona State or unseeded Georgia—would be seeing their seasons end today.

Here’s a recap of the “Elimination Saturday” games as they are completed…

*****

#1 Oklahoma 8, Georgia 0

After getting pushed to the Elimination bracket on Thursday by losing 4-3 to Georgia, the Sooners looked to be back in full force in the opening game on Saturday courtesy of the home run ball and outstanding pitching

The top-ranked Oklahoma softball team beat Georgia with an 8-0, run-rule win—its 35^th run-rule victory in 53 games this year.

National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo homered to centerfield in the top of the sixth inning to give her 31 on the season, a new school record to push the lead to the eventual final score of 8-0, and 85 in her career.

Home run No. 3️⃣1️⃣ just hits 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Your OU single-season HR 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧, @78jocelyn_alo 🤙 pic.twitter.com/9B2xtvH0J3

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 5, 2021

The Sooners got on the board in the top of the second on a home run by sophomore Mackenzie Donihoo, who went 3-for-3 in the game to lift her batting average to .448 on the year.

Kinzie Hansen pushed the lead to 5-0 in the fifth on a line drive home run, her 22^nd of the year, over the centerfield wall.

The win set up a dramatic game between the top two seeds as #1 Oklahoma and #2 UCLA have been in the top spots since March 23.

Sophomore leftfielder Mackenzie Donihoo put the Sooners on the board in the top of second inning with her seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot to left.

As noted by the OU Sports Information Department, the Sooners now have 150 homers on the season, eight short of the all-time record of 158 set by Hawaii in 2010.

While the bats were hot, so too was the pitching of senior lefthander Giselle Juarez, who pushed her record to 19-1 after striking out 10 while giving up just three hits and one walks in 5.1 innings.

👓 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 👓@ggotgame45 | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/hiGy31Xcko

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 5, 2021

Saturday’s game was the third meeting of the two teams this season after the two teams met in a doubleheader on April 20 in Athens with Georgia winning 7-6 victory in the first game to give the Sooners its first loss of the season and end its winning streak at 40. The Sooners took the second game with a 12-3 run-rule rout in five innings.

*****

#10 Florida State 4, #11 Arizona 3

Arizona jumped out to a 2-0 lead and the Seminoles trailed into the bottom of the sixth inning before FSU’s Dani Morgan blasted a three-run homer to left field.

With one out, Cassidy Davis had walked, Devyn Flaherty hit by a pitch and then, with two outs, pushed the Noles out to the dramatic 3-2 lead.

THE NOLES ARE NOT READY TO GO HOME JUST YET!!!

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/DGw7596IQ1

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 5, 2021

 

Arizona, which had gone ahead in the top of the third on a Malia Martinez home run and a Carlie Scupin sac fly in the top of the fourth, didn’t give up and tied the game in the seventh when Reyna Carranco doubled up the middle to bring home Janelle Meono and knot the game at 3-3.

That set up the dramatics in the bottom of the seventh as Florida State’s Kaley Mudge led off with a single through the right side and, one out later, advanced to third on a throwing error.

Cassidy Davis stepped in and sent a deep fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly and the walk-off win.

Cassidy called game…see you tonight!#OneTribe | #HowBoutIt pic.twitter.com/adDpyamLBD

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 5, 2021

*****

#1 Oklahoma 10, #2 UCLA 3

James Madison will face Oklahoma early Sunday morning and the Sooners will have to win two, but after how they got into the Semi’s with two wins on Saturday, you have to like OU’s chances, at least based on the offensive explosion shown today.

Following the Game 1 run-rule over Georgia, Patty Gasso’s powerful team didn’t seem too concerned about a two-hour, 17 minutes rain delay in Oklahoma City and after two-time National Player of the Year Rachel Garcia put the Bruins on the board 3-0 with a three-run blast in the top of the 3^rd inning.

Shaky UCLA defense, however, allowed Oklahoma to quickly get back into the game and you had to feel Oklahoma had everything going its way when Jocelyn Alo pulled off a first: she hit her first career triple and it was a big one, bringing in two and pulling OU within a run at 3-2:

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 🍿 pic.twitter.com/W6xFg72xSq

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 6, 2021

 

In the week where OU would capture the two big National Awards—Alo was Player of the Year—the other significant trophy was given to Tiare Jennings and she showed her dangerous bat as well by slugging a two-RBI double—her 91^st and 92^nd RBIs of the season— to give OU the lead it would never relinquish:

💥 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 💥@_tiarejennings does Tiare things for the two-run double!

B4 | OU 4, UCLA 3 | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/v3uvEbX3uA

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 6, 2021

The power display continued as sophomore Mackenzie Donihoo—who had six home runs coming into the WCWS—exploded for three home runs today alone, adding another pair in the win over UCLA.

For the day, the Mustang, Oklahoma native went 5-for-7 with the three long balls and is now another offensive power threat to an offense already considered one of the best in college history.

For the day, the Sooners had 11 hits dispered among three players with Kinzie Hansen going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Donihoo going 2-for-4 with three runs knocked in.

For the second game in a row, pitcher Giselle “G” Juarez was impressive, coming in to relieve Nicole May and shutting UCLA down with only three hits given up over five innings and no runs given up.

Finally, props to the close of an amazing college career for Bruin pitcher/slugger Rachel Garcia, who ends her time at UCLA with two National Player of the Year awards and a National Championship (2019).

*****

#10 Florida State 4 #5 Oklahoma State 2

The two hour-plus rain delay before the start of the OU/UCLA game pushed the first pitch of the final Elimination Saturday game to 12:50 am EST Sunday morning as Florida State and Oklahoma State took the field to try to advance to compete later in the day.

The bats appeared to be asleep early in the game as OSU starting pitcher Kelly Maxwell struck out five in the first two innings—five in a row at one point—and Kathryn Sandercock had three K’s in her first two innings as well.

That all changed in the top of the third.

Florida State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the inning as catcher Anna Shellnut led off with a home run just inside the left field fence pole that cleared the second fence passed the wall.

Anna Shelnutt sent one DEEP into the night!

📺: ESPN#OneTribe | #HowBoutIt pic.twitter.com/DtWmdVBf2x

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 6, 2021

Shortstop Josie Muffley walked and then came all the way around on a double by leadoff hitter Kaley Mudge, who also came in to score on a fielder’s choice when a ball to first base was bobbled.

After another hit, that would be it for Maxell who was replaced by Logan Simunek with one out in the inning.

The Cowgirls would answer back with a run in the bottom of the third as DP Avery Hobson led off with an infield single up the middle and advanced to second on a sac bunt. She would come around to score on an error by Sandercock who threw a Kiley Naomi bunt down the rightfield line on her toss to first to make the score 3-1.

Oklahoma State narrowed the gap to 3-2 with one out in the fifth as left fielder Chelsea Alexander reached on a bunt that should have been an out but was dropped by second baseman Devyn Flaherty covering first base.

A walk to Naomi put runners on first and second with one out as shortstop and leadoff hitter Chyenne Factor singled to right field to plate Alexander but Naomi was caught in a rundown between third and home for a big second out.

In the top of the seventh inning, FSU put another run on the board all thanks to Mudge, who reached on an error, advanced to second on a deep flyout down the left field line and then raced to third on a pitched by bobbled in the dirt and came home when the throw to third when into left field.

Mudge shows her speed and gives the Noles a 4-2 lead after an Oklahoma State error.

📺: ESPN#OneTribe | #HowBoutIt pic.twitter.com/eDEPlJLtxD

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 6, 2021

Score: 4-2 but OSU wasn’t done as Hobson led off the inning with an infield single over the pitcher’s mound.  However, Sandercock got her seventh strikeout and then ended the game on a double play that put the final score at 4-2 with a  game at 2:20 am Oklahoma City time.

Not a lot of time to rest for Florida State, however, as they will play Alabama at 3:30 pm EST Sunday afternoon in the National Semis and face a well-rested Montana Fouts and her Tide team.

Still, you know the winners early Sunday morning were happy to be in the Final 4 as the semi’s are set:

• James Madison vs. Oklahoma (1 pm EST, ESPN)
• Alabama vs Florida State (3:30 pm EST, ESPN)