College Softball Weekly Recap: Do You Believe In Sooner Magic?
College Softball Weekly Recap: Do You Believe In Sooner Magic?
Oklahoma's flawless Big 12 season continues and Minnesota is closing in on Michigan for the Big Ten title.
Conference titles races across the country are becoming clearer after this weekend, as most teams have just one or two series left to go in the regular season. Still, there is drama to be had before we reach the postseason. Here’s what went down in NCAA softball over the final weekend in April:
No. 2 Oregon sweeps No. 4 Washington in Seattle, tied with No. 1 UCLA atop Pac-12
A dramatic extra-innings grand slam by DJ Sanders in Game 1 against Washington on Friday set the table for an Oregon sweep of its conference rival in Seattle. Sanders slammed her crucial dinger off Huskies ace Taran Alvelo, who allowed just her sixth home run of the year. The 7-2 loss on Friday was Washington’s first Pac-12 defeat at home all season.
Enjoy the moment in slow motion:
The Seattle Slam, staring senior DJ Sanders. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/JCE9ezgunV
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) April 28, 2018
The Ducks went on to take the final two games of the series (4-2, 5-3), with Sanders adding another homer in the finale. The three wins moved Oregon into a tie for first place with UCLA in the Pac-12 at 15-3 with just two series left in the regular season. The Ducks will play last-place Utah at home this upcoming weekend.
Minnesota’s Amber Fiser tosses a perfect game against Purdue
Minnesota sophomore Amber Fiser pitched the program’s sixth-ever perfect game Saturday in a 4-0 road win over Purdue. In a game that lasted just 82 minutes, Fiser notched six strikeouts against just 15 batters as her defense picked up the slack from there.
PERFECT! Amber Fiser with her first collegiate perfect game after tossing a no-hitter exactly one month to the day. MERCY!
— Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) April 27, 2018
?Five innings without a base runner
? 15 up, 15 down
? 6 Ks
? 45 pitches in an 1:22 pic.twitter.com/VMHKd1zt1E
With a weekend sweep of the Boilermakers, the Gophers have now won 12 games in a row. They trail Michigan by a half-game in the Big Ten standings.
No. 3 Oklahoma walks off Texas to keep perfect conference season alive
The Sooners have won 35 of their last 36 games, and their latest victory required some extra-innings drama at home against Texas on Sunday. Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, Jocelyn Ato whacked her second dinger of the day to tie up the game.
Then Lea Wodach did this to complete the sweep over the Longhorns:
WATCH: @leawodach DELIVERS with a walk-off single to seal the extra-innings win! #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/w0U6oHzJGe
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 29, 2018
The two-time defending NCAA champions are now 44-3 and have won 27 consecutive home games. Texas has to be kicking itself for letting this one slip through its fingers.
Speaking of Oklahoma, well, how does this even happen?
During Saturday’s eventual 7-1 win over Texas, Lea Wodach worked some wicked sorcery to somehow score here. Um… what.
Now that's how you avoid a tag?pic.twitter.com/7AAePmsznJ
— FloSoftball (@FloSoftball) April 29, 2018
With this dance and her walk-off single on Sunday, Wodach had one hell of a weekend for OU.
No. 5 Florida takes series against No. 10 LSU, zeroes in on SEC title
Fifth-ranked Florida increased its lead in the SEC to two games with a 5-3 comeback victory at home against LSU on Sunday coupled with a Georgia loss. Junior Amanda Lorenz keyed the rally against the Tigers with a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the fifth:
? We take the series behind an @AmandaLorenz18 bases clearing triple! ?? #GatorsWin ?? pic.twitter.com/liJyYGiJW8
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 29, 2018
The Gators finish off the regular season this weekend on the road at Missouri, which is just 6-14 in SEC play this season.
Syracuse senior Rachel Burkhardt walks-off senior day with timely dinger
Such a cool moment here. ’Cuse utility player Rachel Burkhardt picked the perfect moment to hit just her second home run of the 2018 season.
???
— Syracuse Softball (@CuseSB) April 28, 2018
The senior walks off on Senior Day! pic.twitter.com/ID2N0Bgon1
What a way to end her final conference home game.
Kristen Cuyos hit the first walk-off in Davis Diamond history
WALKOFF!@CujoTheBeast17 wins it!#12thMan pic.twitter.com/NwojikP6wJ
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) April 28, 2018
The Seminoles win six straight ACC titles
Six in a row! Excited to be the No. 1 seed in the @ACCsoftball Championship on May 9-12! pic.twitter.com/sytmnB0uWg
— FSU Softball (@FSU_Softball) April 28, 2018