Tag: NCAA Softball

Duke softball sweeps doubleheader against Iowa State and Nebraska for first two wins of 2024

The Blue Devils couldn’t get the better of top-ranked Oklahoma on Thursday, but the Duke softball team handled business against Iowa State and Nebraska on Friday.

If any Blue Devils fans needed a reminder that a season-opening loss to Oklahoma is not the end of the world, the Duke softball team gave them that on Friday.

Duke played two games in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on Friday, first against Iowa State before an afternoon game against Nebraska, and the Blue Devils won both games by a combined 18 runs.

The team wasted little time reminding the Cyclones they were still one of the best teams in the country during the morning’s opening game. After Duke batted in two runs in the opening inning, the Blue Devils broke the game wide open with a five-run second inning.

The entire rally happened with two outs. After the bases were loaded by two singles and a walk, junior Ana Gold laced a single into left that drove home two runners. Claire Davidson followed up with a two-RBI smack of her own in the very next at-bat, a double to right-center, before Aminah Vega brought her around to home with a single.

Seven straight Blue Devils batters reached base before the final out of the inning was recorded, and the lead was 7-0 before the Cyclones got their second chance to bat.

Iowa State tried to answer with two runs in the bottom of the second, but a grand slam from Davidson powered another five-run inning in the third, and the rout was on.

Duke scored four more runs over the rest of the game and ended up winning by mercy rule, 16-3, after just five innings. Davidson finished the game with a home run, two doubles, and six RBIs in just four at-bats.

The Blue Devils kept the momentum rolling in the top of the first against Nebraska, with Aminah Vega powering a line drive into right field to bring home a pair of runners and give Duke the early lead.

Duke managed to bring four more runs home across the next six innings, including a solo shot from Jada Baker in the sixth, but those opening two runs proved to be enough of a buffer.

Nebraska didn’t score a run until the bottom of the final inning, when Duke’s lead was already six, and the Cornhuskers managed just a single run and a single hit across the entire game as Duke coasted to a 6-1 victory.

The Blue Devils now sit 2-1 on the young after the back-to-back wins. They play their last game of the season-opening tournament on Saturday against Long Beach State. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET.

LOOK: Alabama softball team greets fans before flying to OKC for WCWS

Alabama softball fans got to see the team before they travel to OKC for the Women’s College world Series.

Alabama softball got through the Tuscaloosa regional in Game 7 and took down Northwestern in Game 3 in the Super Regionals. Now, the Crimson Tide is off to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

Patrick Murphy’s team will first take on Tennessee, which will be a difficult task.

While the goal is to win it all, it’s clear the team is currently focused on taking down the Lady Vols.

Before taking off, the team was greeted by Alabama softball fans at the airport, where they signed autographs and took pictures. The support for Alabama softball is unmatched anywhere in the nation.

WATCH: Alabama softball celebrates defeating Northwestern, advancing to WCWS

Alabama softball defeated Northwestern in a must-win Game 3, and celebrates advancing to the Women’s College World Series.

In the Super Regional series against Northwestern, Alabama dropped the first game, but managed to win the next two in a best-of-three series to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

There was plenty to celebrate as Montana Fouts struck out the final batter to earn an opportunity to potentially play for another national title.

The team advances, after a somewhat rocky season, and Fouts threw her last pitch in Rhoads Stadium as a member of the Crimson Tide.

Patrick Murphy and the Crimson tide will now have to face Tennessee. It will not be an easy task for Alabama, but with goals of playing for a national title, anything can happen.

The team was quick to gather around Fouts after the final strikeout.

Nothing but joy came

from Fouts and her teammates.

The whole team celebrated and thanked the Crimson Tide faithful for their support.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Alabama softball as the Women’s College World Series gets underway.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

Texas softball’s season comes to an end with super regional loss to Tennessee

Texas softball’s season ends in the super regionals.

Texas softball’s season has come to an end after dropping game two of the super regional to Tennessee 9-0. The Tennessee victory clinches a spot in Oklahoma City for the first time since 2015.

The Longhorns trailed 1-0 entering the fifth inning before chaos broke loose and the Vols broke the game open. Texas’ bats struggled to get anything going for the entirety of the contest, only picking up two base hits.

Texas still has tons to hang their hat on from the 2023 season. Mike White’s team went 45-15, swept through the Austin Regional and made a fourth straight super regional.

Losing out just shy of the Women’s College World Series always stings, but the Longhorns have reasons for optimism. The future is bright for this Texas team as they return a strong core of young players next season.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

No. 13 Texas drops game one of Super Regional to No. 4 Tennessee

Texas softball looks to bounce back on Saturday.

No. 13 Texas softball is now facing elimination following a game one loss to No. 4 Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional.

The Lady Vols used a four-run second inning to beat the Longhorns 5-2, moving just one game away from the Women’s College World Series.

Texas’ comeback effort was cut short despite bringing the tying run to the plate in the sixth inning.

Mike White’s team is in a bit of a familiar situation with their backs against the wall. The Longhorns dropped the first game of a Super Regional against Arkansas last season before making a run all the way to the national title series.

Game two of the Knoxville Super Regional is set to take place Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. Texas hopes to force a winner-take-all game three on Sunday.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Alabama softball P Montana Fouts available for NCAA Super Regional series

Montana Fouts is eligible to return after suffering a knee injury in the SEC Tournament.

As Alabama softball prepares to take on Northwestern in an NCAA regional, some good news has found its way to the clubhouse. Star graduate student pitcher Montana Fouts has been cleared to play and will be available for the matchup, according to Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.

Fouts missed time during this postseason and was unavailable due to a knee injury she suffered after she appeared to hyperextend it while in the circle of an SEC Tournament contest.

Alabama is the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and seeks to get past Northwestern after winning the Tuscaloosa Regional over Middle Tennessee in Game 7.

The first contest of the best-of-three series takes place Friday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama softball as the postseason continues.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

Texas softball cruises past Texas A&M, advances to fourth straight super regional

Texas softball sends Texas A&M home.

Texas softball is moving on to the super regionals for the fourth straight season after taking down Texas A&M 11-5 in the regional final.

Beating an in-state rival is always fun, but doing in on the big stage is that much sweeter.

Sunday’s victory over A&M was less of a nail bitter compared to the first matchup between the two in the regional. Texas broke out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and would continue the offensive outburst all game.

Courtney Day was locked in at the plate, picking up five RBIs on two doubles. Her three-run double in the fifth gave the Longhorns a comfortable 10-2 late.

Sophomore pitcher Sohpia Simpson recorded the final outs against the Aggies yet again to seal the victory.

Texas is set to take on the winner of the Knoxville Regional next week with a trip to the Women’s College World Series on the line.

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Auburn softball splits Saturday’s action, advances to Championship Sunday

After suffering a tough loss to No. 16 seed Clemson on Saturday, Auburn bounced back to eliminate Cal State Fullerton.

After earning a convincing 12-2 win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday in the Clemson Regional opener, the Auburn Tigers took part in a challenging second day that saw them go 1-1 on the day.

The day began with an anticipated game with regional host, Clemson. The game was tight through the first four innings, but a five-run 5th inning would allow Clemson to pull away from Auburn and earn the 7-0 win.

In the nightcap, Shelby Lowe’s stellar outing in the circle lifted the Tigers to a 5-0 win over Cal State Fullerton in an elimination game. Auburn led 1-0 prior to a two-hour rain delay and was able to extend the lead to 5-0 in the middle innings to eliminate the Titans.

Here’s a recap of how Saturday’s action unfolded:

Patrick Murphy on Montana Fouts: ‘She’s our version of Tua’

Montana Fouts has been a leader for Alabama softball since she arrived in Tuscaloosa and head coach Patrick Murphy offers high praise for the pitcher.

Alabama softball pitcher Montana Fouts has enough accolades to divide among five players and have all five lead successful careers. She’s been a star not just for the Crimson Tide, but has been a national representative for the sport.

Her success and leadership at Alabama have assisted the program in more ways than imaginable. Head coach Patrick Murphy understands how important she is and has been to the team, the program and the game.

In the SEC Tournament, Fouts suffered a leg injury and has not been able to play since. There’s no clarity as to whether or not she will be able to pitch again this postseason.

During recent media availability, Murphy talked about Fouts and had nothing but extremely positive things to say about the graduate student pitcher. He even compared her to former Crimson Tide star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“I’ve said it before. She’s our version of Tua. I don’t know how else to describe it. She’s just one of those once-in-a-lifetime kids.”

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama softball as the postseason continues for the Crimson Tide.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM. 

Auburn softball enters Clemson Regional with ‘extra motivation’

After missing a chance to host a regional this season, the Auburn Tigers are driven to make a statement in Clemson.

When it came to picking a regional host, the No. 16 Auburn Tigers had a resume worthy of such honor. However, the NCAA Tournament selection committee failed to share those sentiments, thus moving Auburn into the traveling category.

Auburn will compete in the Clemson Regional, hosted by the No. 16 overall seed, Clemson. Should Auburn come out of the weekend on top, their next destination would be Norman, Oklahoma to face the postseason’s top overall seed.

D1Softball’s Rhiannon Potkey understands Auburn’s frustrations and feels that the orange and blue Tigers will have extra drive heading into the weekend.

The Tigers certainly have enough reasons to be miffed by their placing in the bracket. Not only did the committee not give Auburn a national seed, they sent the Tigers back to Clemson for the second straight season. Auburn beat Alabama and LSU head-to-head in SEC play, and both squads received national seeds over the Tigers. If they needed extra motivation, they got it.

This bracket will not be a breeze for any team, as the Clemson Regional features three of the game’s top pitchers in Auburn’s Maddie Penta, Clemson’s Valerie Cagle, and Cal State Fullerton’s Myka Sutherlin. Auburn’s performance against regional hosts such as Alabama and LSU should boost Auburn’s chances of winning the regional, as Potkey has predicted that Auburn will upset Clemson for the weekend victory.

Potkey likes Auburn’s chances should they get past Cal State Fullerton on Friday.

The Tigers have plenty of pop in the lineup, led by [autotag]Nelia Peralta[/autotag], [autotag]Lindsey Garcia[/autotag], and [autotag]Denver Bryant[/autotag] among others. Auburn is 1-2 all-time in games against Cal State Fullerton. The two teams last met in Fullerton in 2015 with the Titans beating Auburn 3-2. That is where Auburn will start. They are just hoping for a better finish than the last trip to Clemson.

Auburn’s run to the Women’s College World Series begins Friday at 4:30 when the Tigers face Cal State Fullerton at McWhorter Stadium.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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