WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
GAME 1: OKLAHOMA 7, FLORIDA 5 (17 innings)
WHAT HAPPENED: Oklahoma's
Shay Knighten tagged UF ace
Kelly Barnhill for a two-out, two-strike three-run homer in the 17th inning to give the ninth-seeded, defending national-champion Sooners a big win in Game 1 of their NCAA title series against the top-seeded Gators, a game that marked the longest in championship-series history. Barnhill was twice a strike away from getting out of the 17th with relative ease, but a two-out single by
Nicole Mendes was followed by Barnhill hitting
Caleigh Clifton with a pitch. Knighten was the next batter and launched her three-run bomb, as the partisan crowd at USA Hall of Fame Stadium -- the OU campus just 30 minutes south -- erupted in delight. The fact the game was still being played after more than five hours was amazing, as twice the Gators were down to their last strike (in the seventh and 12th innings), but both times got doubles; the first a one-run blooper from
Sophia Reynoso and second a two-run gapper by
Amanda Lorenz that took the game even deeper into the night. Down three in the bottom of the 17th, the Gators loaded the bases with one out, but could only push one run across.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Knighten absolutely crushed that 2-2 pitch from Barnhill in the 17th. It was only the fifth home run surrendered by Barnhill this season, but the second of the game.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: OU's dueling Paiges. That would be OU starter
Paige Lowary and reliever
Paige Parker, who combined to limit the Gators, the hottest hitting team at the WCWS, to just 10 hits -- all but three of them singles -- through the 17 innings. Lowary worked the first five innings, gave way to Parker for the next 6 2/3, then returned to finish 5 1/3, still touching her 70-plus mile-per-stuff as the clock approached midnight. Lowary finished with 10 1/3 innings, gave up just two runs, walked one and struck out seven to run her record to 16-3. Parker, OU's leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts, allowed four hits, three runs and struck out seven.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Let's just go with 17 innings.
UP NEXT: On to Game 2 of the championship series, set for Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, with the Gators (58-9) trying to stay alive and force a decisive Game 3. The Sooners (60-9), meanwhile, will try to win their second straight NCAA crown. How both coaches handle the pitching staffs after both their top two aces threw more than a full game each will be the biggest pre-game subplot heading to Game 2.
