Washington eliminates Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma came through under pressure so often in recent years at the Women’s College World Series.
The Sooners’ moment never came Sunday.
Taran Alvelo shut out the two-time defending national champions and Washington eliminated Oklahoma from the Women’s College World Series with a 3-0 victory.
Oklahoma entered the World Series as the nation’s highest-scoring team, but Washington shut out the Sooners twice in a four-day span. Oklahoma (57-5) was trying to join UCLA as the only programs to win three consecutive titles.
“I think Washington is an outstanding team, and they beat us twice, flat-out beat us,” Oklahoma Coach Patty Gasso said. “They earned everything that they got. No doubt, no doubt.”
Julia DePonte had three hits and two RBI. The Huskies (52-8) will try to win their second national title starting today, when they play Florida State in the best-of-three championship series. Washington won the title in 2009.
Washington’s pitching is set up for the championship series. Its ace, freshman Gabby Plain, hasn’t pitched since Friday.
Alvelo was Washington’s ace until she suffered a stress fracture in her ribs earlier this season. Washington Coach Heather Tarr didn’t hesitate to start Alvelo against the Sooners, despite Plain starting Washington’s first two World Series victories.
“We need her,” Tarr said of Alvelo. “We are not where we are today without her. Gabbie Plain has had a phenomenal season, and she’s amazing, too. We’re not Washington without Taran Alvelo. She has performed how she’s needed to perform every time we’ve given her the ball. She absolutely deserved to start this game today, no matter what was going to happen.”
Oklahoma started No. 2 pitcher Paige Lowary on Sunday, but ace Paige Parker replaced her early and gave up one run in four innings in her final college game. She threw two shutouts Saturday and finished her career with 10 World Series victories.
“When people recognize pitchers in this game, they recognize the strikeouts and they don’t recognize so much the craftiness and the will and the guts,” Gasso said. “And what Paige Parker did yesterday was something I don’t know that you’ll see again.”
Gasso said Parker has surpassed national team member Keilani Ricketts as the best pitcher in school history.
“She’s one of the best this sport has ever seen, and people should understand that,” Gasso said. “I do.”
Washington got it going early in the semifinal. DePonte singled to score Sis Bates and put Washington up 1-0 in the first.
Noelle Hee’s single scored DePonte to make it 2-0 in the third.
With two on and two outs in the fifth, Oklahoma’s Shay Knighten lined a pitch to right field, but Trysten Melhart dived and caught it to end the threat.
“Your instincts just kick in in that moment and you
just go for it,” Melhart said.
“Luckily I caught the ball. I knew if I didn’t, my centerfielder, Kelly (Burdick), would be behind me to back me up.”
DePonte hit a solo home run off Parker in the fifth to make it 3-0. Even then, the Sooners felt there was some magic left.
“They had their minds set that they were going to play on Monday, and I appreciate that,” Gasso said. “That’s why I love this team. That’s why it hurts, because two years straight we have not had to feel this.”
FLORIDA STATE 12-3, UCLA 6-1
Florida State defeated UCLA twice on Sunday to advance to the championship series. The Seminoles won the second game after taking the first game 3-1. The Bruins (58-7) needed just one victory to advance because they had beaten Florida State earlier in the tournament, but their pitching fell apart. UCLA’s Rachel Garcia, who took the loss in the first game, started the second game but only lasted an inning before Selina Ta’amilo stepped in. The second batter she faced, Cali Harrod, hit a home run to put the Seminoles up 1-0. Ta’amilo faced three hitters before Garcia returned to the circle. Morgan Klaevemann scored on an error, then Jessie Warren hit a two-run home run to put the Seminoles up 4-0. UCLA’s Taylor Pack hit a two-run home run in the second to cut Florida State’s lead to 4-2, but Sydney Sherrill hit a three-run blast in the fourth to push the Seminoles’ lead to 7-2. Florida State’s Carsyn Gordon cranked a three-run home run in the fifth to make it 12-4.