The Walk-Off: Louisville, Cal rally for walk-off wins, CC Wong does no wrong

By
Brady Vernon
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Courtesy of Louisville Athletics

Top 25 Matchups

No. 10 Virginia Tech 8, No. 15 Alabama 3

The Hokies earned a hard-fought two-game split in Tuscaloosa. Virginia Tech was finally able to lift the game, unlike Friday. Cori McMillan had a homer and a sacrifice fly to help provide a three-run lead into the seventh. Alabama’s offense didn’t through six innings, but that turned around in the seventh. Kendal Clark led off with a triple and scored on a single. Then Kenleigh Cahalan nearly ended the game, lining a ball off the top of the wall for a two-out triple to tie the game. The Tide couldn’t find the game-winning run and missed an opportunity.

The Hokies responded with five runs in the top half of the eighth highlighted by Michelle Chatfield’s 14th home run of the season. Cameron Fagan also had a few nice plays at second base and four hits for the Hokies.

No. 16 Missouri 3, No. 2 LSU 2

The offense decided to take the day off after Friday. LSU started the game out swinging. Ali Newland and McKenzie Redoutey hit solo home runs to go up 2-0 early. Marissa McCann entered the circle and LSU’s bats went cold. McCann tossed four scoreless innings, yielding three hits. That swung the momentum back to Missouri. The offense broke through against Raelin Chaffin as Jenna Laird and Julia Crenshaw drove in runs in the three-run third inning. Alex Honnold robbed a home run and Kayley Lenger made multiple highlight plays in right field. TaylorΒ Pannell picked up her sixth save of the season.

No. 21 Cal 7, No. 24 Arizona 6

Is it not over till it’s over right? This was all Wildcats as they entered the seventh inning with a five-run lead, and then in a blink, it was gone. Acacia Anders, Tianna Bell and Elon Butler all homered to push the game to extras. Anders led off the ninth inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Kaylee Pond dribbled a ball to second and Anders beat the throw home to win the game.

No. 1 Oklahoma 12, No. 22 Baylor 3 (F/5)
No. 1 Oklahoma 7, No. 22 Baylor 4

The three-time reigning champs sure lived up to the title on Saturday. The Sooners swept the Bears behind a plethora of home runs. In the first game, Ella Parker smashed a grand slam to put the run-rule in effect. Jayda Coleman, Alyssa Brito and Riley Ludman all hit home runs.

Brito hit another in the second leg of the doubleheader as well. Alynah Torres continues to make it hard to keep her out of the lineup with another homer as she is on fire at the plate. Tiare Jennings hit her 85th career home run to put her inside the Top 10 all-time home run hitter list.

No. 17 Arkansas 3, No. 18 Mississippi State 0

The Razorbacks’ offense has flowed through Bri Ellis and Kennedy Miller this season and that didn’t change Saturday. Ellis hit a homer in the first inning and Miller had a RBI double in the third. Ellis and Miller then hit a single and double in the sixth, Raigan Kramer drove in an insurance run. Hannah Camenzind pitcher well for four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth as the Bulldogs put runners at second and third with no outs. Morgan Leinstock came in and shut down the threat without giving up a run. She went the rest of the way to pick up the save.

No. 8 Washington 6, No. 14 UCLA 4

The Huskies got out to another great start, putting up three runs up in the first behind Alana Johnson’s two-run home run. Sydney Stewart’s single in the fourth extended the lead to five. The Bruins wouldn’t go away despite being down five in the seventh. Ruby Meylan went to try to close it but the strike zone got small. She walked four until she eventually got the final out to secure Washington’s first series win over UCLA since 2016.

No. 8 Tennessee 2, No. 25 South Carolina 1 (F/10)

Unlike the first game of the series in Columbia, Missouri this weekend, runs were at a premium in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks struck for one in the first and the Lady Vols evened the score in the third. Then there was no offense for six innings. Taylor Pannell singled to open the 10th, and moved over to third via a wild pitch and a bunt before Camryn Sarvis’ sacrifice fly brought her in after review showed Pannell was safe before a Riley Blampied throw got in. Karlyn Pickens struck out nine in nine innings before Payton Gottshall finished the win in the 10th.

Upsets and Close Calls

Louisville 2, No. 3 Duke 1 (F/8)

There was no almost upset on Saturday. Katie Thatcher had the biggest moment of her young career. The freshman lifted a walk-off home run in the eighth inning off Lillie Walker to even the series.

No. 5 Stanford 2, Utah 1

The Utes were on the wrong side of the walk-off homer. Despite taking another early lead, Utah failed to take advantage. River Mahler tied the game in the fourth. That set the stage for Taryn Kern to seal the series win with her own walk-off blast.

Softball Around America

Louisiana Tech 5, Western Kentucky 3
Western Kentucky 6, Louisiana Tech 5

The two teams split a doubleheader of the Conference USA series that will have a crucial rubber match on Sunday. Louisiana Tech used a big fourth inning to provide enough run support for Allie Floyd. Meanwhile, in the second game, Western Kentucky had a five-run second inning. However, an insurance run in the seventh proved to be valuable. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and had two runners on before the Hilltoppers rolled a game-ending double play.

No. 11 Florida 9, Kentucky 1 (F/6)

The Gators have put together one of the most impressive weekends with back-to-back run-rule wins against Kentucky. Ava Brown tossed a one-hitter in her six innings of work. Six players drove in runs for the Gators including Reagan Walsh, who had four RBIs.

Players of the Day

CC Wong, Wichita StateΒ 

Wong hit three home runs including a grand slam to finish the day with 6 RBIs in a 12-0 win over UTSA.

Olivia Lackie, South Alabama

South Alabama picked up a doubleheader over ULM but the first game wasn’t easy. Lackie had to toss a no-hitter while her offense only provided one run and two hits.

Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State

The freshman went 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in FSU’s 13-4 win over Pitt.

Plays of the Day

Milestone Moments

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Brady Vernon

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