Blogging Game 2 of the WCWS Championship (6/2)
Blogging Game 2 of the WCWS Championship (6/2)
Florida beat Michigan last night in Game 1 of the best-of-three Women’s College World Series Championship Series in an awesome game that came down to the last batter… fortunately for the Gators Lauren Haeger did enough damage early to give them a lead that Michigan couldn’t surmount.
But how would Game 2 go? Would Florida close the door on the 2015 season or would Michigan push it to an all-for-the-marbles game on Wednesday?
For fun (for me at least), I’m blogging my thoughts during the game if only because it makes me pay more attention and enjoy the action more!
— Brentt Eads
***
Pre-Game:
* The big question revolved around Haylie Wagner and if she would start after pitching so well Monday. She’s a lefty who only had two losses—to Florida and Kent State—and she came in on the hands of Haeger and did better than Megan Betsa did.
But what if she struggles… what will the mindset be of Betsa?
* Another intriguing factor: what is the mindset of both teams? Michigan has to be desperate—it’s win or go home—while Florida can feel confident and play at ease knowing they have another game if needed, but that often bites a team in the butt as they play less aggressively.
A graphic showed that 84% of the country thought Michigan would win… interesting. The ESPN talking heads seem to think Maize and Blue too.
* If Haeger gets one decent pitch to hit, I’d be shocked. The National Player of the Year has covered up the fact that Florida’s offense hasn’t been lighting it on fire… last night the Gators only had two hits besides Haeger’s.
Coach Hutch of Michigan has to be thinking, “We’ll make the rest of the Florida line-up beat us, not her.”
1st Inning:
* A strikeout by Wagner against Stewart is big. There are three lefties at the top of the order and the Michigan pitcher has to get them out because hitting No. 4 is Haeger.
* Wagner gets a K and then two infield outs. She looks confident and is in an early rhythm early. Bodes well for Michigan…
* Michigan’s up against Haeger who went 31-1 and only gave up four runs all year. A great match-up as Michigan is one of the top offenses in the nation and, just like that, Sierra Lawrence singles to left field.
… and up comes another Sierra, Sierra Romero, who hits a weak grounder to shortstop Kathlyn Medina but Lawrence’s speed makes her safe at second.
* A sac bunt is popped up for out No. 1. That hurts.
* A fly ball to center by Kelsey Susalla looks like it might fall in, but Kirsti Merritt can’t field the one-hop and Lawrence scores from second. Good base running as she held up but had the speed to come home.
It’s 1-0 Michigan and two lackluster defensive plays hurt Florida, but Haeger gets the next two batters to fly out.
* For the first time in the Championship Series, Michigan has the lead…
2nd Inning:
* It’s obvious Wagner is coming up and in all the time to the Florida pitcher, but Haeger hits a hard one-bouncer that Michigan third baseman Lindsay Montemarano can’t backhand and, once again, Haeger’s on base.
* A sac bunt puts Haeger on second base but a great change K’s Bailey Castro. Wagner looking strong…
* Michigan shortstop Abby Ramirez makes a great diving stop to keep Haeger from scoring with two outs. Runners on first and third two outs.
* Quick two strikes on Aubrey Munro, the Gators catcher, and it ends with another Wagner strikeout, her fourth.
* Nice between inning piece by ESPN on Michigan’s 2005 National Championshps, the first by a team East of the Mississippi. Another shot of Jennier Ritter, the winning pitcher for that team.
* Wagner hits a flair to left field for a single and she’s out-doing her counterpart so far in pitching and hitting. Well, it’s very early yet!
* A sac bunt puts the designated runner on second and a ground out puts her on her third.
* Sierra Lawrence comes up with two outs, but Haeger sets her up inside and then throws a beautiful pitch outside for strike three. Michigan up 1-0 still… this is looking like a sweet pitcher’s duel; watch it end up 9-8!
3rd Inning:
* Stewart of Florida leads off and puts the ball down but without hesitation Ramirez guns her down. Big-time throw to get one of the fastest players in the country.
* The next batter flies out on the first pitch and Nicole DeWitt ends the inning on a flyout to left and it’s a quiet 1-2-3 for the Gators.
* Haeger quickly gets Romero and Kelly Christner, the two top bats for Michigan, out but Kelsey Susalla works a two-out walk on a full count and Lauren Sweet works a full count as well before flying out to center
4th Inning:
* Heading to the inning, ESPN’s Holly Rowe interviews Hutch who is awesomely candid: “We taking the pitches we should be hitting and swinging at the ones we should be taking.”
* Merrit leads off and flys out to the catcher, but Haeger grounds up the middle for a single after being jammed yet again. The 5-foot-11 senior is so strong she can power it for a single.
* Taylore Fuller singles to left and suddenly there are runners at first and second with one out as Hailey Castro comes up. With two strikes she pops up behind the catcher but Sweet can’t catch up but it doesn’t matter as she flies out behind first base.
* Taylor Schwarz didn’t start last night but her right-hand bat is in and with two outs she grounds out to short and Florida’s best scoring opportunity is shut down.
* The lower half of the Michigan offense is up and Lele Ocasio jogs down to the bullpen, but Haeger continues to look strong. The batters ground out to the pitcher and fly out weakly and ground out to third… none of the balls leave the infield.
* Now the question is if Florida can get anything going against Wagner…
5th Inning:
* Munro battles until she hits a flair over first to lead off the inning. Can Florida finally break through? Megan Betsa is warming up in the bullpen just in case Wagner starts to struggle.
You can feel this is a key point in the game… and just like that a line shot to short is caught and the runner is doubled up at first. Wow!
Stewart then swings at the first pitch and Florida is now down to its last six outs with Michigan coming up in the bottom of the 5th…
* With one out in the bottom of the inning, Michigan lead-off hitter Sierra Lawrence doubles to the left center gap. Up comes Sierra Romero and the Wolverines would love a bonus run here.
* Nice shot of the crowd and Sierra’s mom–daughter looks just like her and her sister Sydney!
* Romero hits a shot to short, is thrown out at first and then Lawrence is gunned down at third by a great throw from first… what a great double play, but, yes, Fuller is totally blocking the bag. Coach Hutchins has a legit beef about defensive obstruction.
Will that be a play that sparks Florida?
6th Inning:
* Nice audio pick-up by ESPN as the umps talk about not having defensive obstruction. They talked it through at least, but no replay to help… would have changed the call I think.
* One pitch, one out for Wagner as Nicole DeWitt bounces out to second; nice backhand by Romero.
* Great bunt by Merritt to get on first and bring up Haeger… get the feeling this could be the Gator’s last chance to score. And Haeger pops up to second on another curve inside. Two outs and that was huge for Michigan….
* Fuller up for the Gators and on an 0-2 pitch Wagner just misses… nice frame by Sweet but nope. Merritt steals second and Florida is one hit away from tying the game.
* Fuller hits the ball and initially it looks like a hit, but ends up in Ramirez’ glove at short. Third out and Michigan runs off the field…
* Christner hits a bullet to center but Merritt is right there. Susalla bounces out to first and Sweet grounds out to second and Florida is down to its final three outs
7th Inning:
*One pitch, one out and Wagner looks unflappable. She’s in a groove and could shut down an MLB team tonight.
* Munro goes down on a strikeout swinging and one more batter and we’re doing it all over again tomorrow…
* Kayli Kvistad is Florida’s last chance but ends the game on another Wagner K and the Michigan bench spills out on the field. We’re on to Game 3!
FINAL: 1-0 Michigan in what ended up being a pitcher’s dual with the difference being Sierra Lawrence leading off the first inning for the Wolverines, getting on and coming around to score the only run of the game on Susalla’s single to center.
There were only 10 hits in the game total and if you’re Michigan you have to come back with Wagner again, right?
If you’re a Florida fan, are you nervous that–outside Lauren Haeger–the offense has seemed to have stalled?
A lot of subplots to watch for Wednesday night… it all comes down to one game! It doesn’t get any better than this!!!
….
— Brentt Eads