Florida State Beats Oklahoma in Game 1 of 2021 Women's College World Series Final
Florida State is one win away from a national championship after beating Oklahoma 8-4 in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Kalei Harding got the Seminoles on the board first with a two-run home run to left in the third inning.
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FSU then exploded for five runs in the fourth to break Game 1 open. Ten batters came to the plate in the inning, and Oklahoma starter Nicole May was chased from the game after 3.2 innings of work.
The Seminoles had six hits during the outburst and only one went for extra bases. They effectively had an assembly line going as they worked runners around the diamond.
Having plated two runs in the fourth, Oklahoma added two in the sixth to make things interesting late. But the 'Noles added an insurance run in the seventh after an obstruction call at home plate.
With one out in the bottom half of the inning, Dani Morgan and Sydney Sherrill combined to throw out Tiare Jennings at home on a double by Jocelyn Alo. Kathryn Sandercock got Kinzie Hansen to pop out to second to end the game.
Notable Performers
Danielle Watson, P, Florida State: 5.2 innings, six hits, four earned runs, five strikeouts
Kalei Harding, RF, Florida State: 3-for-4, four RBI, two runs scored, one home run, one double
Sydney Sherrill, 3B, Florida State: 1-for-2, one run scored, two RBI, two walks
Nicole Mendes, RF, Oklahoma: 1-for-2, two runs scored, one RBI, one home run
Watson, Harding Set the Tone for FSU
Florida State coach Lonni Alameda sprang a bit of a surprise when she turned to Danielle Watson as the starter to open the series. The last of Watson's 10 starts this season was May 8 in a win over Pittsburgh.
Watson held the Sooners hitless through 3.2 innings before allowing back-to-back homers to Kinzie Hansen and Nicole Mendes. She was also responsible for the two runs Oklahoma brought home in the sixth.
In general, Watson gave Alameda as much as she could've expected on the mound.
Harding, meanwhile, was excellent out of the 9-spot and combined with Kaley Mudge to form a formidable duo when the lineup turned over. They were responsible for six of Florida State's 11 hits.
During any championship run, there's always one or two players who unexpectedly step up to play a big role. For Tuesday at least, that's exactly what Harding did.
Sooners Fall Flat in Opener
To say the Sooners boast a potent lineup would be an understatement. They rank first in batting average (.410), slugging percentage (.789) and home run average (2.72 per game). Five of Oklahoma's usual starters have an on-base percentage better than .500.
After falling to James Madison in its WCWS opener, Patty Gasso's squad outscored opponents 31-7.
Jennings, Alo and Mackenzie Donihoo combined to go 4-for-11 with two strikeouts. Those numbers aren't bad but below the standard they have set so far in 2021.
The back-to-back home runs were an example of how quickly Oklahoma can put opposing teams under significant pressure, but the team couldn't get enough timely hits in the end.
This was also a somewhat sloppy showing from the Sooners, who made some costly mistakes.
Mendes committed the cardinal sin of getting thrown out at third with less than two outs when she attempted to tag on a short flyout by Grace Lyons in the second.
Hansen allowed Florida State to have an extra out in the pivotal fourth inning when her attempted pickoff throw to second base sailed into the outfield and allowed Carson Saabye to take third.
What's Next?
Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. History isn't in Oklahoma's favor since Alabama in 2012 was the last school to win the WCWS after losing the first game.
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