The Florida Gators have waited six days to play their much-anticipated first game in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship Gainesville Super Regional.
Now coach Tim Walton’s team will have to wait another day.
Rain, which has become a bad four-letter word around the Sunshine State this last week, forced a postponement of Saturday night’s opening game of the best-of-three series between California (38-18) and Florida (58-3) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Golden Bears and Gators will come back Sunday morning at 10 a.m. to play the opening contest. The second game of the series, which had been scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m., instead will immediately follow the first game. The third game, if necessary, would be played Monday at a time to be determined. ESPNU will carry the Sunday games and they will be live online at http://www.espn360.com.
The Gators, who have won a season-high 24 consecutive games and 47 of their last 48, will send senior ace Stacey Nelson (37-3, 0.43 ERA, 302 strikeouts in 243.1 innings) to the mound against the Bears’ Marissa Drewrey, who threw three complete games and had an 1.00 ERA as the Bears won the Tallahassee Regional. In her last 12 games, Drewrey is 8-0 with a 1.26 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 55.2 innings.
With the first two games of the series being played back-to-back Sunday, Walton probably will call on sophomore Stephanie Brombacher in the second game. Brombacher is 21-0 (and 41-0 over two seasons) with a 0.78 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 152.2 innings.
The winner of the Gainesville Super Regional advances with seven other Super Regional champions to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series beginning May 28.
SUPER REGIONALS
Saturday’s games
(4) Alabama 9, Jacksonville State 0: At Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the second straight day, Alabama sophomore Kelsi Dunne (27-3) threw a five-inning no-hitter, becoming the first player ever to accomplish the feat in NCAA postseason history. Dunne struck out seven and walked just one – a fifth inning walk to Courtney Underwood. The two no-hitters send the Crimson Tide (52-9), the fourth-seeded team in the tournament, to Oklahoma City for the sixth time since 2000. Kelley Montalvo and Kellie Eubanks each homered and drove in two runs for Alabama. Jacksonville State finished its season 42-17.
(5) Michigan 7, Baylor 1: At Ann Arbor, Mich., the Wolverines (46-10) sent the Bears back to Waco with an 11-hit attack highlighted by two hits each by Bree Evans, Angela Findlay, Roya St. Clair and Teddi Ewing. Sophomore right-hander Jordan Taylor (19-5) struck out 13 while surrendering just five hits. Courtney Oberg provided the only run for Baylor (40-22) with a home run.
(10) Arizona State 11, North Dakota State 0: At Tempe, Ariz., the defending NCAA champions scored 10 times in the first two innings to eliminate North Dakota State in five innings. Hillary Bach threw a two-hitter for the victory that sent Arizona State (46-17) to the Women’s College World Series for the fourth straight year. North Dakota State ended its season at 38-20.
(3) Washington 7, Georgia Tech: At Atlanta, the Huskies (45-11) moved within one victory of their ninth Women’s College World Series appearance behind the four-hit pitching of Canadian Olympic ace Danielle Lawrie (36-7), who struck out 10. Washington banged out 14 hits against Georgia Tech (46-14), with six players having two each. Ashley Charters went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and a leadoff home run, while Morgan Stuart was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
Missouri 2, (2) UCLA 1: At Los Angeles, Missouri freshman Chelsea Thomas moved to 16-4 by holding the 11-time national champion Bruins to five hits and two walks while striking out three in the opening game of the Easton Field. The victory by Missouri (49-9) ended the nine-game winning streak by UCLA (44-10). Andee Allen had a run-scoring double in the second inning and Rhea Taylor tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gina Schneider to give Thomas a 2-0 lead against losing pitcher Megan Langenfeld. The Bruins scored their run on Dani Yudin’s solo homer in the seventh inning.
NCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUPER REGIONALS
GAINESVILLE/FLORIDA
At Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Saturday, May 23
California at (1) Florida, ppd., rain
Sunday, May 24
California (38-18) at (1) Florida (58-3), 10 a.m. (ESPNU)
California at (1) Florida, 30 minutes after first game (ESPNU)
Monday, May 25
California at (1) Florida, TBD, if necessary
PALO ALTO, CALIF./STANFORD
At Smith Family Stadium
Thursday, May 21
(8) Stanford 6, (9) Arizona 4
Friday, May 22
(9) Arizona 7, (8) Stanford 3
(9) Arizona 6, (8) Stanford 5; Arizona (46-15) advances to College World Series; Stanford (48-11) eliminated
ANN ARBOR/MICHIGAN
At Wilpon Softball Complex/Alumni Field
Friday, May 22
(5) Michigan 8, Baylor 1
Saturday, May 23
(5) Michigan 7, Baylor 1; Michigan (46-10) advances to the College World Series, Baylor (40-22) eliminated
TUSCALOOSA/ALABAMA
At Alabama Softball Complex
Friday, May 22
(4) Alabama 9, Jacksonville State 0
Saturday, May 23
(4) Alabama 9, Jacksonville State 0; Alabama (52-9) advances to College World Series, Jacksonville State (42-17) eliminated
ATLANTA/GEORGIA TECH
At Shirley Clements Mewborn Field
Saturday, May 23
(3) Washington 7, (14) Georgia Tech 1
Sunday, May 24
(3) Washington (45-11) at (14) Georgia Tech (46-14), 1 p.m. (ESPN)
(3) Washington at (14) Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., if necessary (ESPN)
ATHENS/GEORGIA
At UGA Softball Stadium
Thursday, May 21
(6) Georgia 6, (11) Ohio State 4
Friday, May 22
(6) Georgia 7, (11) Ohio State 6; Georgia (44-10) advances to College World Series; (11) Ohio State (47-11) eliminated
TEMPE/ARIZONA STATE
At Farrington Stadium
Friday, May 22
(10 Arizona State 3, North Dakota State 0
Saturday, May 23
(10) Arizona State 11, North Dakota State 0; Arizona State (46-17) advances to College World Series, North Dakota State (38-20) eliminated
LOS ANGELES/UCLA
At Easton Stadium
Saturday, May 23
Missouri 2, (2) UCLA 1
Sunday, May 24
Missouri (49-9) at (2) UCLA (44-10), 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Missouri at (2) UCLA, 5:30 p.m., if necessary (ESPNU)
WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
At ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Thursday, May 28 first-round games
Game times to be determined
Gainesville Super Regional winner vs. (9) Arizona (46-15)
(4) Alabama (52-9) vs. (5) Michigan (46-10)
(6) Georgia (44-10) vs. Atlanta Super Regional winner
(10) Arizona State (46-17) vs. Los Angeles Super Regional winner