The University of Florida (58-8) justified its No. 1 seeding by easily topping No. 6 Washington (50-14) Sunday 5-2 Sunday in Oklahoma City, eliminating the Huskies from the NCAA Women’s College World Series with a second loss in the double-elimination tournament.
Huskies ace Taran Alvelo, who pitched a two-hit shutout Friday, gave up four runs in the first two innings before she was pulled. Florida’s 5-foot-4 lefty, Delanie Gourley, allowed Washington only one hit, a bunt single in the second, until the seventh, when, after an infield error and a home run by Julia DePonte, the Huskies got on the scoreboard. Gourley struck out 11.
The runs were the first the two-time champion Gators gave up in the tourney, setting an NCAA mark through the sixth inning by not allowing a run, while scoring 20.
Washington made the Sunday pairing Saturday with a 1-0 win over Pac-12 Conference rival UCLA. Ali Aguilar hit a long home run in the fifth inning for the game’s only score. Friday they lost 3-1 to Oklahoma after a tourney-opening win over Oregon.
Had the Huskies won Sunday, they would have had to play Florida in a second game. The Gators’ victory advanced them to the best-of-three finals against the winner of the Oregon-Oklahoma game later Sunday.
The Series appearance was Washington’s 12th. The Huskies won the national title in 2009.
3 Comments
A tough loss for the Husky ladies. Get ’em next year.