RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
*****
And now we know, after five of the most amazing days of high-level softball you’ll ever see, who are the two finalists that will battle in the 2021 Women’s College World Series championships series.
For the first time ever, the two finalists have emerged from the Elimination Bracket, even though Oklahoma was a #1 seed and Florida State a #10.
After Oklahoma lost to JMU 4-3 on Thursday in the first day of WCWS action, it only seemed to wake up the powerful offense and get them motivated: the Sooner sluggers would score 8, 10, 6 and 7 runs in the four games where with a second defeat the Big 12 team would be done.
On the other side, Florida State never looked dominating, until Monday, after losing to UCLA 4-0 in its opening round game as the Noles would advance and win their Elimination Bracket games by scores of 4-3, 4-2, 2-0 and 8-5 today, but even the win over Alabama today was a bit shaky after FSU jumped out to an 8-0 lead only to have the Tide make it interesting on a pair of Bailey Hemphill RBI-producing hits, one a two-run home run.
Still, these former National Champions are led by two of the top coaches in the game today in Patty Gasso (OU) and Lonni Alameda (FSU) and despite going 0-1 after Round 1, neither team panicked but, instead, clawed their way inning-by-inning, game-by-game to get back to the best-of-three finale that begins Tuesday.
Here’s the schedule:
The Championship Series schedule has been announced!
📅 Tuesday
⏰ 7:30 PM ET📅 Wednesday
⏰ 7 PM ET📅 Thursday
⏰ 3 PM ET📺 @espn #WCWS pic.twitter.com/xIqXzd8dAt
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 8, 2021
Also, we thought it would be enjoyable to read the game reports from the victorious schools, so with all credit to Oklahoma and Florida State here are their recaps as done by each school’s Sports Information Department…
*****
Sooners Championship Series Bound
The following article was originally posted on the SoonerSports.com website on Monday, June 7, 2021
Life isn’t always easy at the top. Just ask the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma softball team.
OU began the Women’s College World Series with an opening-round loss and was forced to endure a gauntlet of four elimination games to qualify for the championship series.
In their final hurdle to advance, the Sooners found themselves trailing 1-0 after the game’s first pitch.
Despite this intimidating degree of difficulty, OU managed to endure and its hopes for a fifth national championship remain alive.
With their 7-1 victory over James Madison on Monday afternoon, the top-seeded Sooners (54-3) will face the Alabama-Florida State victor in the best-of-three championship series that runs Tuesday through Thursday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆⁉️ 🏆 pic.twitter.com/njup3M6Nz5
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 7, 2021
After being held to a season low in runs in an opening-game 4-3 loss to JMU (41-4), the Sooners returned to their familiar, dominating ways despite being on the brink.
In four elimination games, OU outscored its opponents 31-7, collected 37 hits, pounded out eight home runs and hit .313 as a team.
“You can’t be afraid to lose,” Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said afterward. “You’ve got to play to win. You can’t think about, ‘Oh, my gosh. What could happen? You’ve got to stay in the moment. That’s really hard to do at this tournament because you start thinking about, ‘Oh, well, the time is ticking on us. We’re already in the fourth. Oh, my gosh.’ You can’t do that. You’ve got to really stay locked in and keep your minds right where they’re at, and the team did a really good job of that.”
JMU’s Kate Gordon sent Giselle Juarez’ first pitch of the game over the left-field wall. But after her inauspicious first toss, Juarez (21-1) allowed just three hits, struck out 11 and walked one in going the distance.
“Attacking the zone and trying to keep them off balance,” Juarez said of keeping her composure. “They were coming out swinging and they’re a good hitting team, so respecting them and attacking the zone, but really staying within myself and going at my pace and knowing that every time I get three outs, our hitters are back up there. Just giving them (my teammates) the opportunity to get back in the dugout and get hits.”
“Exceptional,” Gasso said of Juarez’s effort. “On the big stage, exceptional. … It was nice that maybe it did happen in the first (inning) so it gave us more time to kind of get ourselves in order.”
JMU workhorse Odicci Alexander threw three innings of no-hit ball before Nicole Mendes tripled to right-center to lead off the fourth. Mendes scored two batters later on a wild pitch when Mackinzie Donihoo walked to tie the score.
𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍' to the #WCWS Champ Series like 💨🏆💨@nicole_mendes_ | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/rtyBPqCaBh
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 7, 2021
The Sooners took a 2-1 lead when catcher Lynnsie Elam scored on an RBI single to left from third baseman Jana Johns.
OU erupted for four runs on four hits in the fifth, which began with singles from Kinzie Hansen and Grace Lyons and was followed by doubles from Donihoo and Jayda Coleman.
The Sooners led 6-1 despite their two most powerful hitters – Tiare Jennings (27 home runs; 92 RBI) and Jocelyn Alo (31 homers; 85 RBI) – going a combined 0 for 6 against Alexander.
In the sixth, Alo hit a towering homer to left off reliever Alissa Humphrey that was five rows shy of clearing the outfield bleachers. It was Alo’s school-record 32nd homer of the season and now puts OU three home runs shy of Hawaii’s record of 158 hit in 2010.
Alexander, who threw a total of 434 pitches (279 strikes) in the tournament, was pulled after 4 2/3 innings and left to a thunderous standing ovation from the near-sellout crowd.
James Madison's Odicci Alexander received a standing ovation from the crowd in OKC 👏@JMUSoftball | #WCWS pic.twitter.com/rrxB9dNpMS
— espnW (@espnW) June 7, 2021
“It was amazing,” Alexander said of the moment. “I mean, it’s more than just a game. To see them all clapping for me and cheering me on, I mean, it was a great moment, and it warmed my heart.”
The understandably fatigued senior righthander exited after surrendering seven hits, six runs (all earned), four walks, three strikeouts, two hit batters and a wild pitch that resulted in OU’s first run.
Juarez on Alexander:
“Game recognizes game, and she is a baller. I have mad respect for her, and she gave everything she had and I think it’s really awesome that they did give her that standing ovation. She earned it. She deserves it.”
Gasso:
“Wow. Just wow. We didn’t know a lot about JMU. We haven’t ever played them, not that I can remember in my years here at OU. What a competitor. She made us better. She made us work. She is outstanding.”
Coleman:
“You have to give her all that respect. She worked her butt off this whole week and she’s been grinding and grinding and grinding and we see the plays that she’s been making. She had an amazing season.”
Asked her thoughts on OU, Alexander said:
“They’re a great team. I’ll give them that. They weren’t the No. 1 seed for anything. They had a great lineup, great pitching staff, and I mean, I hope they take it all the way.”
For updates and more information on Oklahoma softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.
*****
Bats Come Alive As the Seminoles Advance to the Championship Series
The following article was written by Bret Clein and posted on the Seminoles.com website on Monday, June 7, 2021
The No. 10 Florida State softball team (48-11-1) advanced to the championship series for just the second time in program history after defeating No. 3 Alabama (52-9) 8-5.
The Seminoles have now won their last eight Women’s College World Series elimination games. The eight straight elimination wins ties the WCWS record that was set by UCLA from 1984-87 and 1988-91.
Florida State was led by Kaley Mudge, who went a perfect five for five with two runs and two RBI. Her five hits tied a WCWS record for the most hits in a game and it the first to do it in just seven innings.
Perfect and @mudge03, two things that go together!#OneTribe | #HowBoutIt pic.twitter.com/lg5NtZ5KEB
— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 8, 2021
The Seminoles pitched three pitchers against Alabama with Kathryn Sandercock starting in the circle for the Noles. She pitched the first three innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Caylan Arnold came in during the fourth inning and allowed two hits and two runs. Danielle Watson finished off the Crimson Tide, pitching the final 2.2 innings while only allowing one run and two hits. Watson earned her 11th win of the season.
Montana Fouts entered the game recording 22 straight outs, but the Seminoles scored three runs before she could even record her first out of the game. Kaley Mudge led off the game with a single up the middle, Sydney Sherrill then walked to put runners on first and second with no outs for Elizabeth Mason. Mason loaded up and sent a bomb halfway up the outfield bleachers to give the Noles a quick 3-0 advantage.
Elizabeth Mason with an absolute 💣
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/dFeohLQ1Ha
— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 7, 2021
The Noles extended their lead to four in the second inning. Josie Muffley led off with a walk, three pitches later the Garnet and Gold had runners on the corners after Anna Shelnutt reached on a fielder’s choice and an error allowed Muffley to reach third. Mudge then put down a perfect bunt back to the pitcher, scoring Muffley from third.
Florida State extended its lead to eight in the top of the third inning. After back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt, Kalei Harding singled through the left side, scoring Devyn Flaherty and Dani Morgan. Mudge then singled up the middle, scoring Harding. Mudge scored the fourth run of the inning for the Noles after Sydney Sherrill doubled to left field.
Alabama got two runs back in the bottom of the third on four hits. Bailey Hemphill singled to right field, scoring Taylor Clark and Kaylee Tow singled to second base, scoring Elissa Brown.
The Crimson Tide narrowed the lead to three after five innings. They earned three runs after a Bailey Hemphill two-run home run to left field and a Savannah Woodard single up the middle, scoring Jenna Johnson.
The Florida State defense tightened up in the last two innings as they got six of the last seven batters of the game out to secure the Seminoles’ second trip to the WCWS championship series.
Scoring Summary
- T1 | Elizabeth Mason hit a three-run home run to left field. (FSU 3, Alabama 0)
- T2 | Kaley Mudge bunted back to the pitcher for a single, scoring Josie Muffley. (FSU 4, Alabama 0)
- T3 | Kalei Harding singled through the left side, scoring Dani Morgan and Devyn Flaherty. (FSU 6, Alabama 0)
- T3 | Kaley Mudge singled up the middle, scoring Kalei Harding. (FSU 7, Alabama 0)
- T3 | Sydney Sherrill doubled to left field, scoring Kaley Mudge. (FSU 8, Alabama 0)
- B3 | Bailey Hemphill singled to right field, scoring Taylor Clark (FSU 8, Alabama 1)
- B3 | Kaylee Tow singled to second base, scoring Elissa Brown (FSU 8, Alabama 2)
- B5 | Bailey Hemphill hit a two-run home run to left field. (FSU 8, Alabama 4)
- B5 | Savannah Woodard singled up the middle, scoring Jenna Johnson (FSU 8, Alabama 5)
Up Next
Florida State plays Oklahoma on Tuesday, June 8 at 7:30 pm ET in the first of a best of three series for the National Championship
Follow Florida State softball on Twitter (@FSU_Softball) and Instagram (fsusoftball), and like our Facebook page (Facebook.com/FSUsoftball) to keep up to date with everything about Seminole softball.
WE’RE GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!#OneTribe | #HowBoutIt pic.twitter.com/YU0rjsSAy5
— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 8, 2021