OU beats Oregon 4-2, reaches finals
— Shay OKLAHOMA CITY Knighten singled in two runs in the fifth inning to help defending champion Okla- homa beat Oregon 4-2 Sunday in the Women’s College World Series semifinals.
The Sooners (59-9) will play top-seeded Florida on Monday night to start the best-ofthree championship series. The teams have combined to win the past four national titles but will meet for the first time in the finals.
Paige Parker (26-5) earned the win, and Paige Lowary got the save.
Danica Mercado’s two-run homer in the top of the fifth put the Ducks (54-8) up 2-0. It was her fifth homer of the season.
Oregon’s Megan Kleist, who earned a win and a save in elimination games Saturday, took a shutout into the fifth before unraveling. After Knighten’s hit in the bottom of the fifth, Nicole Pendley doubled to score Knighten and chase Kleist.
Florida 5, Washington 2: Delaney Gourley struck out 10 while throwing a two-hitter as the Gators (58-8) beat the Huskies (50-14).
Gourley (22-4) had two strikes on Julia DePonte with two outs in the seventh before DePonte hit a two-run homer for Washington. The two unearned runs were the first runs Florida had allowed in the World Series.
Kayli Kvistad homered and drove in three runs for the Gators.
Florida scored four early runs against Taran Alvelo (35-9), who was pulled after recording four outs. Madi Schreyer gave up one run and two hits in 4⅔ innings of relief, but the damage was done.
Florida’s lineup, which has struggled at times this season, has scored 20 runs combined in three World Series games.
Gourley’s performance allowed coach Tim Walton to rest ace Kelly Barnhill for an extra day. Barnhill, USA Softball’s national collegiate player of the year, hasn’t allowed a run in 11 innings at the World Series. Another strong pitcher, Alesha Ocasio, hasn’t even played in the World Series.
Late Saturday
Oregon 4, LSU 1: Gwen Svekis hit a two-run homer to help the Ducks beat the Tigers (48-22).
Megan Kleist, who got the save earlier in the day against Baylor, earned the win against LSU. She struck out nine with no walks in a five-hitter.
Alexis Mack had three hits and scored two runs for Oregon.
Shemiah Sanchez hom- ered for LSU’s lone run, and Allie Walljasper took the loss for the Tigers after giving up three runs and six hits in 2⅔ innings.
Washington 1, UCLA 0: Ali Aguilar homered in the sixth inning and Taran Alvelo threw a two-hitter in the Huskies’ victory over the Bruins.
Alvelo struck out seven. UCLA freshman Rachel Garcia gave up just five hits and one walk and struck out seven.
UCLA played the game without assistant coach Lisa Fernandez.
The three-time USA Olympic gold medalist was suspended for two games after bumping into the home plate umpire while arguing a no-call during the Bruins’ win over Texas A&M earlier in the day. She sat in the stands during the game against Washington, occasionally posing with fans and signing autographs.