Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Thu, Jun 02 9:01 am
(Edited Thu, Jun 02 9:11 am)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
Megan's leaving the ball over the plate in the 3rd and Texas hitters are jumping on them. The Bruins seemingly got out of trouble momentarily when a run was taken off the board after UCLA challenged a scoring play at first, and the video review ruled that the runner interfered. But, that was only a brief reprieve, as the Longhorns hit a double, triple, and two-run HR to knock Faraimo out of the game.
Holly Azevedo is now pitching. The Longhorn hitters have been jumping on the pitches early in the count, and Faraimo was serving up a lot of hittable pitches to try and get ahead in the count. Azevedo serves up a lot more off-speed pitches and drop balls. So, this will hopefully tamper things down.
The HR was hit by Mary Iakopo, who played for Mike White at Oregon and was supposedly spotted at UCLA after White left. UCLA didn't have any scholies available for her, and she followed White to Texas.
The umpires have been a factor early on. They botched a call in the 1st inning that UCLA chose not to challenge. In that case, a run didn't score. UCLA successfully challenged on the interference play in the 3rd, but that run came in on the next at-bat.
Onto the bottom of the inning. It's still early. But, the Bruins now have a big hole to climb out of. |
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Sat, Jun 04 2:28 pm
(Edited Sat, Jun 04 2:36 pm)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
Oklahoma continued its rampage with a 7-2 win over Texas. This flips the Longhorns into the opposite bracket where they will play Arizona on Sunday.
UCLA will play the winner of Oklahoma State-Florida in an elimination game on Sunday at noon PT on ABC (the Bruin baseball team plays their elimination game at 11am PT). The winner of that game will play a well-rested Oklahoma on Monday in a potential elimination doubleheader. If the Bruins advance, they would have to win twice while the Sooners would only have to win once. Tall order just to beat them once, given that they have only 2 losses on the year. But, to beat them twice? That would be as monumental an upset as we've ever seen in the WCWS.
In last night's 6-1 win over Northwestern, Faraimo got it done at both ends. She pitched out of a bases loaded jam, and then hit a HR in the next inning. UCLA maintained a lead throughout the game, and had some success against Northwestern ace Big Ten pitcher of the year Danielle Williams. But, at one point they were only 2-13 with runners in scoring position, as Williams got out of one jam after another. But, the dam finally broke in the 7th when the Bruins got the timely hits and scored 3 runs.
|
| |
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Sun, Jun 05 1:40 pm
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
This one was Holly Azevedo's moment. She pitched a brilliant two-hit shutout, and the Bruins backed her up with some stellar defense. Florida also made some great defensive plays early to keep the game close. But, UCLA scored 3 runs on just 1 hit in the 4th when the normally stout Florida defense broke. UCLA got the mercy rule win with 4 runs off of Florida's one time ace senior Natalie Lugo.
They now advance to Monday's semifinal against Oklahoma. The Bruins will have to win twice to advance to the championship series. |
| |
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Sun, Jun 05 2:16 pm
(Edited Sun, Jun 05 2:19 pm)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
It's tradition for teammates to get involved during the postgame interview. Usually, it's the gatorade bath or water bottles.
Today, pitcher Holly Azevedo got the interview and the cold shower from her teammates. And this time, Coach Lisa Fernandez got involved as well. Fernandez has been Azevedo's pitching coach, and this is Holly's 5th year. This was her moment, and it's great to see her coach included in the congratulatory dunking. Fernandez was a fierce competitor without peer as a player, and she has a similarly hard-nosed approach as a coach. But, you can see that she has a great bond with her players.
https://twitter.com/UCLASoftball/status/1533565644364345344
|
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Mon, Jun 06 8:31 am
(Edited Mon, Jun 06 8:36 am)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
Delanie Wisz continues her hot hitting in the postseason with a 1st inning HR to give UCLA the early 2-0 lead. The Bruins stranded a couple of runners, but were able to run starter Nicole May's pitch count up.
UPDATE: I was about to write that Megan Faraimo has a tendency to both give up runs in the early innings and give up HRs. And right off the bat, the OU leadoff hitter clubs one into the bleachers to cut the margin to 2-1. If the Bruins win today, it won't be easy.
UCLA lost to OU earlier in the season 4-1. Faraimo didn't allow an earned run in 3 1/3 innings. Azevedo and Shaw also pitched in that game, giving up 1 and 2 earned runs, respectively. |
| |
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Mon, Jun 06 9:06 am
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
Maya Brady is another Bruin batter that has gotten hot in the postseason. OU pitched around Delanie Wisz to get to Brady. Big mistake, as she's a lefty and she gets better as the game rolls on.
No lead is safe with OU's lineup, but the Bruins have now chased OU's previously unbeaten starter. They now get a look at Jordy Bahl, who beat UCLA earlier in the season.
OU now looks shellshocked. Over half of their games were won by mercy rule. They're not used to playing from behind, and not used to getting a taste of their own medicine.
Hopefully, Megan can keep the OU bats at bay and force the if-necessary game. |
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Mon, Jun 06 10:48 am
(Edited Mon, Jun 06 10:49 am)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
Looks like the Bruins are about to force a deciding game in the WCWS semifinal. Maya Brady hit another homer to extend the Bruin lead to 7-3.
Holly Azevedo will try to close out the Sooners in the 7th. She came in for Megan in the 5th, and has shut the Sooners down with her changeup. Brady's homer gives the Bruins some much needed breathing room. The entire Sooner lineup is dangerous, but if Holly can keep the bases clean, she won't have to face Jocelyn Alo again.
A win would also preserve the legacy of the 1992 championship team (which both coach Inouye-Perez and Fernandez were part of) as the undisputed greatest of all time. |
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
|
|
Posted Mon, Jun 06 11:04 am
(Edited Mon, Jun 06 11:06 am)
|
|
In response to Softball: WCWS UCLA vs Texas 9am PT ESPN (Woochifer)
|
|
All the pressure is now on OU. The Bruins took the early lead and turned the screws on the Sooners earlier, and they seemed to play tight the rest of the game. Now, it's a one-and-done scenario and how do they respond?
Coach KIP brought Azevedo into the game after Megan had gone through the Sooner lineup twice. Azevedo's changeup seemed to neutralize the Sooner bats, especially since the top of the lineup only got to see Azevedo once. On the coverage, you could see Holly waiving off the pitch call from Lisa Fernandez. She wanted to drop the changeup on Jocelyn Alo representing the tying run in the 5th, and that pitch struck the national POTY out.
I would assume that Megan will go again in the second game. But, it seems that Azevedo gave the Sooner batters fits because of how much she can drop speeds with her changeup. Megan has developed a changeup, and she will get it down to about the mid-50s. But, Holly's changeup can go down into the low-50s. Coupled with the higher velocity she can now throw at the high end, and she has become a bona fide ace in her 5th year.
The Sooners remain the favorite to advance, but the Bruins are now halfway to taking down Goliath. |
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
Replies to this subthread
|
|
