Blogging Game 3 of the WCWS Championship (6/3)
Blogging Game 3 of the WCWS Championship (6/3)
This is it… it’s down to a one-game season for the NCAA Div. I National Championship!
Will it be Michigan—the first team East of the Mississippi—to capture its second title exactly one decade after the first? Or will it be Florida, which has been No. 1 all year and hadn’t lost to a non-SEC foe until last night, taking the crown for the second year in a row.
It’s Florida and USA Softball National Player of the Year Lauren Haeger vs. ESPNW National Player of the Year Sierra Romero and those are the two obvious players to watch, but will it be these two great talents or someone else who will step up and be the hero in the most anticipated game of the year?
And can Michigan pitcher Haylie Wagner continue her hot hand and mastery of the Gators’ offense or will the third game be the charm for the Florida batters in figuring her out?
I’ve blogged the first two games and loved every minute of it… it’s now time to cover the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!
— Brentt Eads
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Pre-Game:
* By the third game, the players and coaches know each other well and, remember, they also played earlier in the year so there won’t be any surprises at this point.
What the championship will come down to is execution—not just who will make the plays but who will avoid mistakes that will prove costly. Heading into the game, you’d think Michigan has the momentum, not just because they won Game 2 but because their offense seems to be hitting better right now than Florida’s.
Haylie Wagner has basically neutralized Lauren Haeger by coming inside and reducing her power output. But Haeger just seems to get it done and you know she can take over a game, especially when it comes down to just one for the title.
If I had to make a prediction, I would take Florida—just because they’ve done it before and know how to get it done. Would I be surprised if Michigan wins? Absolutely not, because they may be playing better, frankly, than Florida as a team, but in a game with Haeger in the circle, I’d take whoever she’s pitching for…
… and, yes, I’m writing this BEFORE the game so I’m not going back after the fact!
1st Inning:
* Michigan is up first and Haeger has to get Sierra Lawrence off the bases as the lead-off hitter runs so well. On a 1-2 pitch Lawrence tags the ball but right to short. Out No. 1…
* And here comes Sierra Romero up second and she quickly grounds out to the left side of the infield as well.
* Now, Kelly Christner, another All-American. Wow, what a top of the order Michigan has… no wonder they led Div. I in home runs. Haeger is not afraid to come inside and then hits her spot high and outside for strike three. Great start for Haeger, no repeat of last night when Michigan got the only run of the game in their first at-bat.
* Florida’s now up and we’ll see if Wagner can return serve after Haeger’s great start. She hasn’t lost since March 14 (2 ½ months!) but she starts off by plunking slapper Kelsey Stewart on the knee. Ouch, besides being a baserunner that could hurt Florida as it could impact Stewart’s great speed.
* Freshman Nicole DeWitt puts it down on a sacrifice and Lindsay Montemarano’s throw goes to second but is late. Two on and Haeger comes up with another RBI opportunity.
* Once again, Haeger gets a clutch hit, a flair just over the outstretched glove of Romero up the middle. Stewart scores and runners get to first and third.
If Florida goes on to win, Haeger will be a unanimous MVP if only for her hitting. Of all four Gator runs in the three games Lauren has all four.
* Wagner looks a bit off compared to the last two days and this is a huge part of the game—if Florida puts up two, three or more runs then it could be over already.
* But Taylore Fuller pops up in the infield and that’s the first out.
* Kirsti Merritt comes up and bunts down the first base line, but Tera Blanco pounces on it. Don’t understand that bunt at all but Haeger gets to second with two down.
* Wagner almost out of the inning but Taylor Schwarz hits a blooper single into left and two runs score including Haeger who looked like she’d be out but Michigan catcher Lauren Sweet can’t handle the throw and it’s suddenly 3-0 and the Wolverines have a lot of catching up to do.
* Now the question is, can Michigan come back like they did in Game 1… remember, they trailed in that game by three but had the tying run on third with no outs in the 7th inning but couldn’t covert.
* Still, I like Florida’s chances… I wouldn’t want to have to score three runs against Lauren Haeger in the next six innings…
2nd Inning:
* Kelsey Susalla leads off – it’s batters 4-5-6 – but she grounds out to short, Lauren Sweet flies out harmlessly to right and Montemarano two-hops to short for the third out.
* Haeger is cruising and in a rhythm… already Michigan looks in trouble and can’t afford to give up another run while having to figure out how to generate some offense.
* Florida leads off with Justine McLean who lays down a gorgeous bunt to third and beats it out but a bad throw by Montemarano goes down the right field line and McLean ends up on second.
Just doesn’t look like it’s Michigan’s night…
* A nice sac bunt puts McLean on third with Stewart coming up—the top of the order for Florida and they have a great chance to put a 4th run on the board.
* Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins wisely comes out to speak to the infield and calm everyone down, if anything.
* Stewart is the best hitter in Florida history and the count goes 3-0 before it runs to a full count. Huge pitch here… Stewart doubles to the left field wall, it’s 4-0 on a beautiful piece of hitting as the lead-off hitter punches it over short and Stewart’s wheels do the rest.
* Not surprisingly, Michigan makes a pitching change as Megan Betsa comes in to replace Wagner who only last an inning and a third.
* DeWitt comes up and gets plunked on the right forearm and trots to first.
* … and Lauren Haeger is up with runners on first and second. She goes down 0-2 but she gets hit on the hand to load the bases… the third hit batter for Florida in less than two full innings.
* Bases loaded for Fuller who has eight career grand slams, but Florida would take anything in play right now as a fifth run or more would be huge.
* Betsa, after hitting the first two batters, should have struck out Fuller on a check swing but it wasn’t called a third strike. But on a 2-2 count, Fuller swings and strikes out and there are now two outs.
* Merritt comes up with a chance to blow the game open… bases loaded but is visibly disgusted with two inside pitches called strikes. A high rise ball and Merritt swings and misses, out three but it’s now 4-0 after two innings.
3rd Inning:
* Hit batters are in the air as Michigan’s first batter, Wagner, reaches after being plunked on the knee. Mary Sbonek pinch runs for her and Michigan has its first base runner.
Blanco is up and she too gets plunked on the left elbow it appears… she’s in a lot of pain and Michigan suddenly has two on and no outs. This is a big chance to get on the board; even one run would be huge here…
* Abby Ramirez comes up and quickly goes down 0-2; a fantastic change up by Haeger gets a big first out.
* Lawrence comes up for the second time and a stat is shown that she is hitting .407 this year with runners in scoring position. But Michigan in the finals is 3-for-17 so this will be interesting. Sierra fouls off several pitches on a 2-2 count before flying out to first in foul territory.
* Sierra Romero is now up and you wonder: is this the last big chance for Michigan? Still, with one swing it’s a 4-3 game… but the Michigan All-American is down 1-2 in the count. Haeger bounces a change and then goes high so it’s two outs, full count and the runners on the move.
Romero hits a ball down the line and there’s no immediate call; it’s called a foul by inches and the replay confirms it. Just how things are going for the Wolverines tonight…
* However, on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Romero lays off a high pitch and it’s bases loaded – all without a hit — with Christner up. It quickly goes 0-2 and Haeger, on the 30th pitch of the inning, strikes out the All-American.
* It seems like an hour since Florida has been up and Betsa gets Gator lead-off batter Schwarz on a swinging strikeout. It’s the Wolverine pitcher’s third straight K and she’s in a groove, looking confident and gets a infield pop-up and a fly-out for a 1-2-3 inning.
4th Inning:
* Despite loading the bases last inning, Haeger has not allowed a hit and gets a flyout, a screwball strikeout of Sweet and a weak grounder to third.
I’m calling it now: Florida gets its second straight National Championship and is the first non-Pac 12 school to win back-to-back (UCLA and Arizona have each done it three times).
Haeger is looking too tough and Michigan looks a bit out of sorts and like it doesn’t have any answers. No offense to the Wolverines, but I don’t see Michigan scoring four runs in the last three innings…
* Betsa starts off the bottom of the 4th and takes the count full before drawing a walk. A check swing by Stewart gets the lead runner at second for the first out but Stewart steals second.
* The Michigan pitcher throws a great off-speed pitcher to get DeWitt for out two and Haeger comes up and with first base open is, surprise, intentionally walked. I would love to know what her on-base percentage is these last three games.
* Fuller comes up with two on and two out and drops down a questionable bunt and is easily thrown out to end the inning.
5th Inning:
* Michigan is down to its last nine outs and Wagner comes up first. She pops up to Haeger for the first out before Tera Blanco gets the first hit for the Wolverines, a single to left field.
* An out and a runner on and Florida Coach Tim Walton calls a team huddle to regroup.
* Abby Ramirez is up next and this is a big moment if Michigan is to get anything going. Haeger goes just a bit high on a 1-2 count and Ramirez makes her pay as she gets an infield single on a ball knocked down at short but no throw is made.
* And now it’s the top of the order with Lawrence, Romero and Christner… it’s now or never for the Wolverines!
* The energy in the stadium is elevated as the count goes 3-2 and this is the biggest pitch of the game for Michigan… a bullet to right field but it’s right at McLean who had her positioned perfectly.
* Romero comes up and on the first pitch singles to left to knock in the Wolverines’ first run, a beautiful piece of hitting as she waited on a change for a single. That on the heels of her great 10 pitch at-bat last time and she finally gets Michigan on the board… and now the tying run is at the plate!
* Christner, though, on the second pitch flies high to center and it’s now 4-1… with Michigan down to its last two innings.
* Merritt leads off the Gators 5th and gets hit… what is that, 12 hit batters? Yeesh.
* A stat is shown that 70,078 have watched the WCWS in the last week, a new record. Yes, softball is growing in interest and when you have great teams like these it definitely should be!
* Schwarz goes to a full count and battles off several Betsa pitches before striking out on the 12th pitch of the at-bat, but Merritt does steal second—same effect as a sacrifice.
* Janell Wheaton up next and quickly goes down 0-2 but patiently works the count full before she misses on a great off-speed pitch.
* Two out with McLean at the plate and she too goes 0-2 in the count but bunts down the first base line and is safe at first. Runners at third and second with two outs with Aubrey Munro, the No. 9 hitter, up but she swings at a high riseball and Betsa strikes out the side.
6th Inning:
* Heading into the top of the 6th and Michigan has only three hits, but all came in the last inning… maybe they’re figuring out Haeger a bit? The Wolverines are waiting more on the change and perhaps can get something going with batters 4-5-6 up.
* Susalla, though, leads off the inning with an easy fly out to center and Sweet grounds out to second on the first pitch before Coach Hutch goes to the bench to have Amanda Vargas, a freshman, pinch hit.
* Vargas drops in a bloop single over short that Medina just misses and the Wolverines show a little bit of life with two outs.
* Wagner steps in and gets hit on the arm, her second time of the game, and slams the bat down. Some emotion shown by the Wolverines and, hey, the tying run is at the plate all of a sudden!
* Tim Walton comes out to check on Haeger who has hit 10 batters all season but three of them have come tonight. Delaney Gourley is warming up in the bullpen but Walton keeps Haeger in to face Blanco, who got Michigan’s first hit of the game.
* Runners on first and second now, two outs and a great change by Haeger makes the count 2-2. Another change and Blanco hits it to short and the threat is stopped…. Florida up now and just three outs away from another championship.
* Stewart starts the inning for Florida by getting hit by a pitch, the 213th hit batter tonight—or just seems like it—and the Gators have the lead-off hitter on once again.
* DeWitt gets a full count but strikes out and Stewart steals second; once again Haeger is intentionally walked so there’s one out and two on.
* Fuller is next and the infielder got hit on the arm—the second of the inning—and the bases are loaded and Michigan puts in Wagner to pitch…
* Oh by the way, it’s hit batter No. 9—a WCWS record—and six of them are Florida Gators. There will be a lot of ice used tonight.
* Wagner gets a pop up for out No. 2 and Schwartz, who had the two-run single in the first, can really blow the game open with any type of hit.
* However, she hits a weak grounder to Romero at second who applies a tag for out three.
* … and here we go to the last inning of the year if Michigan can’t score three to tie it up.
7th Inning:
* Michigan has batters 9-1-2 up and Abby Ramirez gets an infield hit to set the table for Lawrence, Romero and Christner. This could be fun!
* Lawrence goes down 0-2 in the count and after fouling several pitches off watches a curve on the outside corner come in for strike three.
* Romero up and two of the best players in the game face each other. Sierra has had two great at-bats in her two previous plate appearances but this time grounds to Medina who gets the force out at second.
* Down to the final out for Michigan as Christner comes to the plate. She misses a change to go 0-1, Haeger’s 32nd off-speed pitch. The All-American hitter fouls off the second pitch and Coach Hutch calls her over to talk.
The Wolverine lefty is down 0-2 and an outside pitch is just off the plate… 1-2 count. A weak grounder to Schwarz at first, she steps on the bag and…
… Florida executes a perfect dogpile before hoisting the NCAA trophy and it’s back-to-back National Championships for Coach Walton and crew.
FINAL: Florida 4, Michigan 1… Florida wins the National Championship.
…. what a great year of college softball—great teams, great players. Love this sport!!! Nuff said.
— Brentt Eads