Softball

After one game in the Women's College World Series, the top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners are facing elimination. 

Unseeded James Madison, playing in the school's first-ever CWS game, defeated Oklahoma, 4-3 on Thursday.

James Madison will play No. 5 Oklahoma State on Friday at 7 p.m., while the Sooners will play unseeded Georgia in an elimination game on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. 

JMU pitcher Odicci Alexander gave up six hits, and all three of Oklahoma's runs came on a third-inning home run from Tiare Jennings. That blast was the equalizer for the Sooners, who were trailing 3-0 thanks to a three-run homer from James Madison's Sara Jubas. 

Kate Gordon's solo shot in the top of the eighth sealed the win for the Dukes, breaking a hitless streak that spanned 16 at-bats. And while it was a long time coming, Gordon's blast was the 69th of her career, a new Colonial Athletic Association record. 

T8 | 𝗞𝗚 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗡 💣

CAA HR Record ✅
Give JMU the lead ✅

📺 ESPN X 🎥 @NCAAsoftball#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/KwHmSrWvKM

— JMU Softball (@JMUSoftball) June 3, 2021

The Sooners entered Thursday leading Division I in scoring, and their three runs were a season-low. But against Alexander, who had a 1.08 ERA entering Thursday, it was almost to be expected. 

"That was passion."@2seas__ shares how @JMUSoftball was able to upset (1) Oklahoma and collect its first-ever #WCWS win. pic.twitter.com/fg4NG4kV9k

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021

"I think [the key was] just mixing up my pitches, not really throwing the ball to the same spot each time," Alexander told reporters. "Just making sure it moves. Because they're great hitters. I was just trying to focus on each pitch, not make them hit it over the fence."

Thursday's win, which came in the first-ever College World Series game in school history for James Madison, also marked the first time since 2008 that an unseeded team beat a No. 1 seed in their first game. 

The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the most prolific offenses in NCAA softball history. 

On Thursday, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA softball tournament starts its final weekend push to the national championship at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. 

The Sooners scored 63 runs in five games at regionals and super regionals, and they could feast on the unseeded James Madison Dukes in the tournament opener. 

James Madison is one of two unseeded teams to reach the Women's College World Series. The Georgia Bulldogs are the other team ranked outside the top 16. 

Oklahoma is looking for its fourth title since 2013. It may have to go through rival Oklahoma State and reigning champion UCLA to achieve that feat. 

UCLA, the No. 2 seed, beat Oklahoma in the 2019 final, and pitcher Rachel Garcia could win her second Most Outstanding Player award in a row if the Bruins take home the hardware.

       

Women's College World Series Bracket

The road ends here. 🏆

🔗 https://t.co/lq9jexR06a #WCWS pic.twitter.com/lsa98vEZLZ

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 31, 2021

    

Preview

Oklahoma leads Division I with a .421 team batting average. That is .72 percentage points better than second-place LIU. Arizona is the only other WCWS participant to have a top-10 team batting average. 

The Sooners' dominance at the plate makes them the team to beat entering Oklahoma City. They posted nine or more runs in three of their NCAA tournament contests and they have a plus-48 run differential in their five postseason victories. 

Oklahoma has four players that rank inside the top 15 of individual batting average, and Jocelyn Alo mashed 30 home runs to lead the country.

Alo, Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen all hit over 20 home runs this season. Arizona's Dejah Mulipola is the only other WCWS participant with 20 or more dingers. 

Mulipola's Arizona teammate Jessie Harper will be on record watch as long as the Wildcats remain alive in the tournament.

Harper has 91 career home runs, which is four shy of the record held by Lauren Chamberlain, who played for Oklahoma from 2012 to 2015. 

To have a shot at the record, Harper and her teammates need to get past Alabama's Montana Fouts, who is fourth in the nation with 314 strikeouts. 

Fouts is also sixth in strikeouts-per-seven innings with 11.2, and she could be the key for the Crimson Tide to make a deep run in Oklahoma City. 

If Alabama and UCLA win their respective openers, we could be treated to a showdown between Fouts and Garcia with a semifinal berth on the line. 

In 2019, the Tide were one win away from setting up that showdown in the best-of-three championship series with the Bruins.

UCLA ended up beating Oklahoma in two games, and it rode its pitching to the title. The Bruins allowed more than three runs once in that tournament, and that was in the 5-4 victory that clinched the title. 

Oklahoma and UCLA could be on a collision course to face each other again given how dominant they have been. UCLA pitched three shutouts, two of which occurred in Games 2 and 3 of the super regional round after Virginia Tech sprung a surprise win in the opener. 

       

Statistics obtained from NCAA.com.

What began with 64 teams is now down to 16.

The super regionals for the 2021 NCAA softball tournament are set with the results of Sunday's play. The top four overall seeds (Oklahoma, UCLA, Alabama and Florida) all remain alive with the tourney set to pick back up Thursday.

Washington and Oregon earned the final two spots in the Super Regionals late Sunday night. 

The updated bracket is available on NCAA.com. Here's how the super regionals are shaping up.

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Super-Regional Matchups

Norman: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Washington (Game 1, Friday at 3 p.m. ET)

Columbia: No. 8 Missouri vs. James Madison (Game 1, Friday at 9 p.m. ET)

Stillwater: No. 5 Oklahoma State vs. Texas (Game 1, Friday at 5 p.m. ET)

Gainesville: No. 4 Florida vs. Georgia (Game 1, Friday at 5 p.m. ET)

Tuscaloosa: No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 14 Kentucky (Game 1, Friday at 1 p.m. ET)

Fayetteville: No. 6 Arkansas vs. No. 11 Arizona (Game 1, Friday at 7 p.m. ET)

Baton Rouge: No. 7 LSU vs. No. 10 Florida State (Game 1, Thursday at 7 p.m. ET)

Los Angeles: No. 2 UCLA vs. Virginia Tech (Game 1, Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET)

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Showing their frustration with their place in the bracket, Washington players walked out of the room during their selection show viewing party upon learning the Huskies received the No. 16 overall seed.

Part of the frustration likely stemmed from the fact a super-regional matchup with Oklahoma loomed. The Sooners and Huskies sit first and sixth in the most recent USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, so they should arguably be crossing paths in the Women's College World Series and not the super regionals.

Oklahoma was runner-up to UCLA in 2019, and the Sooners are clearly focused on bettering that outcome this summer. They hammered Morgan State 19-0 in their first game of the tournament and then walloped Wichita State 24-7 in Game 1 of the regional finals.

📊 Put up some 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 📊 pic.twitter.com/qoSI5bHMd0

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 24, 2021

Washington may not be sticking around much longer.

The SEC celebrated three national champions between 2012 and 2015, but the conference hasn't tasted success in the College World Series since the second of Florida's back-to-back titles. That drought might be coming to an end. The Gators along with Missouri and Alabama didn't allow a single run during the regional phase.

Ole Miss won't be joining its SEC rivals in the super regionals after melting down Sunday.

The Rebels led No. 11 Arizona 6-0 entering the fourth inning. The Wildcats clawed their way back with three runs in the fourth before exploding for eight in the fifth. Jessie Harper, Dejah Mulipola and Carlie Scupin each had three hits to power the comeback.

Harper makes the grab and @ArizonaSoftball advances to Supers! 😼 @jesss_harperr#RoadToWCWS pic.twitter.com/85IbVvhJxd

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2021

Still, it has been a good tournament for the SEC, which is guaranteed two of the eight WCWS bids.

Based on how Oklahoma has run roughshod over the competition, a fifth championship for the Sooners is nonetheless looking more and more likely.

Not all perfect games are equal.

North Texas pitcher Hope Trautwein not only set all 21 Arkansas-Pine Bluff batters down in order in a 3-0 win on Sunday, the senior right-hander fanned everybody who stepped into the batter's box.

The final out of the programs first ever PERFECT GAME ‼️@hopetraut goes the distance!

7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 21 Ks 👀

cc: @D1Softball, @ConferenceUSA, @notarabledays, @justfactsmaam, @NCAAsoftball #GMG x #MGSB x #HopeIsDope pic.twitter.com/OFUlP8CGNK

— UNT Softball (@MeanGreenSB) April 11, 2021

The Associated Press noted two other pitchers (Alabama’s Alexis Osorio in 2018 and California’s Michele Granger 1991) registered 21 strikeouts, but neither did so in a perfect game.

This isn't even the first time Trautwein finished a start with 21 strikeouts. She pulled off the feat over eight innings in a 3-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in February 2020 and matched the total this February as the Mean Green downed Southeastern Louisiana 6-2.

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 🥎
📅 Feb. 21

Hope Trautwein struck out a @ConferenceUSA record 2️⃣1️⃣ batters in a 3-0 victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christi in eight innings and boosted career strikeout total to over 400.#NCAASoftball | @MeanGreenSB pic.twitter.com/B5SZqNy3kX

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) April 21, 2020

"That was a great performance by Hope," head coach Rodney DeLong said of Trautwein's effort Sunday. "Any time she gets the ball, she never surprises us with the success she has. She's the hardest worker on our team, she brings it every day and she deserves all the credit and all the success in the world."

As great as she was, she would've needed to throw a few more innings in order to write her name into the NCAA record books. Eileen Canney (Northwestern, 2006) and Cristin Vitek (Baylor, 2004) both had 28 strikeouts in a single game. They each needed extra innings to do so.

Following Sunday's game, Trautwein now boasts a 1.70 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 66 innings on the season.

An internal review of the Texas Tech softball program, which prompted the resignation of head coach Adrian Gregory, has also revealed that two players and an associate head coach were baptized at team facilities. 

Trenity Edwards, who led the team in hits in 2019, was baptized March 12, 2019, alongside coach Sam Marder, who was Jewish, according to Josh Peter of USA Today. Another player, Yvonne Whaley, was baptized on a separate occasion. Gregory was present for both events.

"What brought me to Christ, honestly, was this team and Coach G," Edwards said in a video of her baptism that she gave USA Today. 

In the "Religious Freedom" section of the review, the school found that "participation in any faith-based activity was indeed voluntary" though it was "not communicated definitively" as such. 

The review of the program was organized by the school after an open records request from USA Today followed allegations that Gregory grabbed players, though two players denied it and a third said it was not "a reportable offense." But former assistant coach Leticia Olivarez, who resigned this summer, said Gregory had bruised her arm after grabbing her, and she alleged Gregory had grabbed three players between 2019 and 2020. Olivarez also accused Gregory of "physical and mental abuse" across the entire softball team in an email to Texas Tech athletic director in March. 

In the review, seven current and former players said they would not recommend the Texas Tech softball program to friends or family. 

The Texas Tech women's basketball program also underwent an internal review after former head coach Marlene Stollings was found to have fostered "a culture of abuse." She was fired Aug. 6. 

Members of professional softball team the Scrap Yard Dawgs, including Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman, criticized the team for sending a tweet directed to President Donald Trump that highlighted players' standing for the national anthem.

Scrap Yard opened a seven-game series against the USSSA Pride on Monday. The team's Twitter account wrote in a since-deleted tweet: "Hey @realDonaldTrump Pro Fastpitch being played live @usssaspacecoast @USSSAPride Everyone respecting the FLAG!"

Osterman and fellow gold medalist Natasha Watley were among those who condemned the tweet (h/t Danny Davis of the Austin American-Statesman):

I DO NOT support the comments made during our game by @scrapyardfp & I will not represent them. We as a people are working towards change, and THIS IS NOT IT. pic.twitter.com/ziSTiYxuzQ

— Cat Osterman OLY (@catosterman) June 23, 2020

Seriously fuming right now😡🤬 @ScrapYardFP you are better than this! Haven’t we been going over this for the last 3 weeks? This is not funny at ALL! Has nothing to do with respecting the flag and ALL to do with respecting ALL Americans in this country regardless of color of skin pic.twitter.com/cdymUwWRsH

— Natasha Watley OLY (@natashawatley29) June 22, 2020

https://twitter.com/DelaneyyLyn/status/1275245827183661056

.... I AM HURT ... I am disgusted ... as a BLACK softball player I DO NOT ... DO NOT stand with a statement like this... if you didn’t understand racism and what was going on the last month. This .. THIS IS IT. This is EXACTLY what we’ve been trying to change pic.twitter.com/udoeaSJFwp

— Kelsey Stewart Hunter OLY (@stewartkels7) June 23, 2020

This isn’t us. As players, we do not stand with the tweet sent out by @ScrapYardFP We stand with the black community. We love you and we stand united with you. pic.twitter.com/zJrqVoOSZ6

— Riley Sartain-Vaughan (@rileysartain) June 23, 2020

THIS ISN'T US! What has happened was incredibly inconsiderate, we do not condone, and will no longer be supporting @ScrapYardFP due to the actions taken behind our backs. This season was ment to be something special, to be a light in the darkness.

— Aubrey Leach (@aubrey_lynne10) June 23, 2020

Dawgs player Aubree Munro Watson said the tweet originated from general manager Connie May. Watson added that she was "appalled by the [insensitivity] & will not represent Scrap Yard ever again."

The sentiment referenced a refrain often lobbed against former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem in the 2016 NFL season.

Shortly after he started the protest, Kaepernick explained his purpose to NFL Network's Steve Wyche: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."

However, some dismissed his reasoning and contended he was disrespecting the American flag.

More attention has been paid to Kaepernick's protests in recent weeks with the ongoing protests and demonstrations following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Don Porter has died at age 90.  

A long-time figure in the world of softball, Porter helped bring the sport to the Olympics beginning in 1996 and spearheaded its return for 2021 after it was removed by the International Olympic Committee in 2008. 

Porter previously held the title of executive director of the Amateur Softball Association, which would become USA Softball, from 1963 to 1997.

"We are deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Don Porter, a visionary leader and advocate for the sport of softball," USA Softball CEO Craig Cress said, per ESPN's Graham Hays. "His vision for our sport led to softball participation in over 130 countries around the world, and his impact and influence, not only for our organization but for the sport of softball as a whole, will continue to live on in every participant, administrator and fan."

Porter died on Sunday in Oklahoma City, where he helped weave the sport into the fabric of the town.

The former executive helped the ASA relocate to OKC, and the sport's flagship stadium was briefly named Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Now known as OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, it has since been expanded to host 13,000 fans and is home to the Women's College World Series. 

In addition to his duties with USA Softball, Porter also worked as president of the International Softball Federation from 1987 to 2012, and he was later co-president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation from 2013 to 2014.

A veteran of the Korean War, Porter is survived by his wife, Jean, three children, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

The family of Fatima Lissette Larios will receive $900,000 from the Nebraska State College System to settle two lawsuits that say Chadron State College did not do enough to prevent dating violence that resulted in the former softball player's suicide in 2015.

Per Chris Dunker of the Lincoln State Journal, Larios' parents said in a lawsuit that their daughter suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her then-boyfriend, who was also enrolled at Chadron State.

Case information, via Leagle provided more context on the plaintiffs' case:

"In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege that Chadron State was deliberately indifferent to reports of dating violence against Fatima by one of its students. They allege that if Chadron State had complied with its own policies and Title IX by properly responding to third-party reports of the abuse and took appropriate steps to protect Fatima's safety, Fatima's death could have been prevented."

Per Dunker, the lawsuit says that Larios' coaches noticed bruising that appeared unrelated to softball. They then spoke with the athletic director, who then discussed the matter with the school's Title IX office "responsible for investigating instances of sexual and dating violence involving members of the campus community."

The Title IX coordinator emailed a copy of the school's sexual violence and harassment policy with an invitation to discuss the matter further if Larios wanted assistance, per the Leagle document.

The lawsuit says that Chadron State did not do enough to speak with students who saw Larios' bruises and heard violent fights with her boyfriend in the dorm room. The college disputes those claims, per Dunker.

The lawsuit also says that the college did not provide Larios with mental health counseling or a victim's advocate prior to her death.

The settlement will be paid through the college's insurance, via Dunker. As part of the settlement, the school will award a "Fatima Larios Spirit Scholarship," which will provide financial aid to a softball player in each of the next 10 years. The school will also construct and maintain a memorial honoring Larios' life for 10 years.

"Both on the field and off, Fatima was dedicated to inspiring, mentoring and championing her teammates and friends," Larios' parents and stepfather stated.

"This settlement ensures that legacy will endure and that she will continue to help others while also making Chadron a safer and more welcoming community."

They also called the memorial "a fitting tribute to someone who lived life with passion, purpose and an unyielding faith in the power of every person to have a positive impact on those around them."

Jenny Conviser, a sports psychologist who worked with DePaul student-athletes, has filed a lawsuit against the school in which she said her contract was terminated after she came forward with allegations of abuse against former softball coach Eugene Lenti.

The Associated Press' John Wawrow reported Conviser said in the suit Lenti struck an assistant coach in the face and "[used] profane language to verbally abuse his players on a regular basis." Conviser also accused the university of "violating Title IX rules for failing to report complaints made against [Lenti]."

Lenti provided a brief comment to Wawrow: "Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about."

TMZ Sports reported Lenti allegedly called his players "f--king whores" and "regularly punched them about their bodies," based on what the players told Conviser and her colleagues.

In the lawsuit, Conviser said he was first informed of allegations of improper behavior by Lenti in 2016. She spoke to school officials about the matter but said DePaul "took no steps to independently investigate," per Wawrow.

Lenti's sister, Jean Lenti Ponsetto, is the DePaul athletic director, and Conviser believes the university attempted to sweep the allegations under the rug by firing two of his assistant coaches. The lawsuit also argues DePaul let Lenti "slip out the back door" by allowing him to retire, per TMZ. 

Lenti first took over the Blue Demons in 1980 and coached until 1987. He returned in 1990 and remained in charge through the 2018 season.

A 2008 inductee into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he accepted an assistant coaching job at Auburn in June 2019.

Conviser's suit also extends to damage she believes DePaul did to her reputation by telling outside parties she's "incompetent and frequently gets her facts wrong and thus cannot be trusted in a professional capacity," according to Wawrow.

Victory of the Week is presented by Walmart.

WALK OFF FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 😱😱😱#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/LbILY0t4S5

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

The No. 2 UCLA Bruins clubbed eight home runs in their two-game series against the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, but all it took to win the 2019 Women's College World Series was a single.

Kinsley Washington looped the game-winning base hit into left field, and while the play at the plate was a matter of inches, UCLA slid into its first national title since 2010. The Bruins defeated Oklahoma 5-4 in Tuesday night's Game 2 at Oklahoma City's USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

All the feels! Kinsley Washington is the HERO!#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/vvTs64eodi

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

Are you even surprised at this point? ANOTHER HOME RUN!!!#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/tyZXYH7w7y

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

The Bruins handed the Sooners their worst loss in 24 years in Monday's Game 1 by dominating 16-3. Oklahoma bounced back in Game 2, but UCLA continued to overwhelm with the long ball. For the second night in a row, four different Bruins drilled four solo home runs.

The game-winner looked to be off the bat of Brianna Tautalafua in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Shay Knighten tied the game 4-4 in the top of the seventh with the Sooners down to their final out.

Brianna Tautalafua had 3 home runs all season. She now has 2 in the Championship Series alone 👏#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/cX1bY3pSPZ

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

BIG PLAY SHAY! BIG PLAY SHAY!

Down to the final out, Shay Knighten TIES IT UP, 4-4, in the seventh inning!!!#WCWS | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/6dSlRR1hHw

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

The Most Outstaning Player, Rachel Garcia gives @sportsiren her first take following winning the National Championship.#WCWS | @UCLASoftball pic.twitter.com/KNVOo8iWe1

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 5, 2019

Sooners starting pitcher Giselle Juarez performed much better in Game 2 than she did Game 1, completing the game at 124 pitches, but she came up just short against UCLA's hot bats.

Big 12 Player of the Year Sydney Romero delivered with a home run in the top of the third inning, but the Sooners will kick themselves for leaving her on base after her leadoff double in the top of the first.

While the Sooners batted around on back-to-back USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Rachel Garcia to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth, she pitched a complete game and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The Bruins now hold 12 national titles, the most all time in Division I college softball.

Meanwhile, it's a bitter end for a successful Sooners senior class that captured two national titles (2016 and 2017) in four years.