I’m writing this the day after the Women’s College World Series Softball Championship game was played since it seemed that I got busy with a lot of other things yesterday. We had to go out to Rolling Oaks Mall and pickup Ramona’s watches and necklace before 7 pm so we went right around 4:30 which gave us plenty of time.
I thought it was strange that a championship game would be played in the middle of the afternoon, but that’s what happened. Of course the NCAA schedulers were blaming it on the weather delays and the fact that TV had locked in NBA playoff games for primetime and they couldn’t be moved. So the game started at 2 pm CST and it was hot!
This game did go differently for the Sooners. They actually started things off in I believe the second inning with a two-run home run by two Alo. It was like it was meant to be for her to do this at this time. Not long after that, I think it was the second baseman for OU also homered to make it 3 to 1 after about three innings. FSU got their run on a stupid play. After getting two outs in the inning, G Juarez walked one batter and another got on with a single I think. So, with two outs the runners on 1st and 2nd were going to take off on any kind of hit. Well, there was a very high pop-up and the second baseman looked like she had it and was calling everyone off, then all of a study she started waving her arms around saying she couldn’t see it! Plunk! The ball dropped right in front of her and a runner scored! That was the dumbest thing. All she had to do was catch that pop-up for the third out and it would have ended the inning. At least OU got out of the inning allowing only that one run.
G Juarez was pretty good all the way through this game. She. didn’t give them very many hits and the OU defense came to play for this game. OU bats also got started with some good hitting and running, a wild pitch by FSU and before we know it, OU was leading 5 to 1 and we’re moving to the 5th inning. I think both teams were flat worn out by now and with that hot sun, they weren’t their usual boisterous selves. Patty Gasso even mentioned she thought both teams were tired and it had been a long series and a long season. But it ended in the 7th inning with G Juarez grabbing a weak pop-up right over the pitcher mound for the third out and OU had it’s fifth Softball National Championship!
This game really showcased a really powerful softball team that Patty Gasso had put together. The announcers were blasting out that OU had set the NCAA record for the most home runs, the most runs, and just about the most of everything and anything that the NCAA keeps records on. This team has now earned a ton of NCAA records as well as several members of the team having set individual NCAA records. Jocelyn Alo has the record for the most home runs in a season, the most RBIs and the highest batting average. And did all of this while only playing 60 games in total. Their final record was 56 – 4 where most of the other championship season were as long as 66 or more games.
Anyway, it was a great game, but just not sure why they had to have it in the middle of the afternoon. I think that and a few other rules may be looked at for next season. Still, if OU’s team isn’t as good as this one, I might not be that interested in this sport next years. OU does loose G Juarez and one of the other ace pitchers so it will be interesting if Coach Gasso can fill in some critical blank spots with some quality players and keep the OU championship for another year.
