Daily Dozen: Friday, May 6th

1. Oklahoma makes it a decade of Big 12 titles in a row. For the second day in a row, No. 6 Oklahoma State didn’t play poorly, particularly from the pitching circle. But for the second day in a row, it gave its rival extra outs. That doesn’t work out well. En route to a 6-0 win, No. 1 Oklahoma broke open a scoreless game with a five-run third inning. All five runs scored after a play in which the Cowgirls seemed destined to get at least one out, if not two, but instead ended up with Jayda Coleman on third base, Jocelyn Alo on second and Tiare Jennings on first –  and no outs. Alyssa Brito and Jana Johns promptly drove in single runs before Kinzie Hansen cleared the bases with a double. The indecision over who to tag and where to throw the ball didn’t lead to an error, officially, but it was costly. Extra outs always are against the Big 12 dynasty.

Over the past two seasons, a span of 108 games, Florida State is the only team to beat Oklahoma when committing multiple errors. Three of the five teams that beat the Sooners in that span didn’t commit any errors. Errors are an imprecise way to measure defense – again, Oklahoma State didn’t commit any Friday, officially, but the numbers illustrate how small a margin for errors opponents have against a team that can’t stop winning championships.

The question is whether this marked the first of five celebrations over the next five weeks for the Sooners – Big 12 regular season, Big 12 tournament, NCAA regional, NCAA super regional and World Series?

2. Arizona State extends its lead in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils came ready to cement themselves atop the Pac-12 standings. Alynah Torres, Yanni Acuña and Jazmine Hill all homered in the series opener against UCLA in a 6-1 win. While UCLA’s Megan Faraimo exited in the third, Lindsay Lopez went the distance for Arizona State. For the full recap, check out Brady’s Breakdown from Tempe. 

3. No sharing for Hogs. Arkansas clinched the SEC regular-season title outright for the first time in program history when Missouri beat Alabama 3-2 in extra innings. No. 4 Arkansas was in the middle of its game against Texas A&M when it became official, and ended up needing the assist as A&M upset Arkansas 6-5 in nine innings. The Hogs shared the title last season with Florida, and is one of four SEC programs to win back-to-back SEC regular-season titles, joining Alabama, Florida and LSU. Arkansas (39-9, 17-5) missed a chance to claim the best conference record in program history with the loss to A&M, but can still tie last year’s 19-5 mark if they win the remaining two games of the series.

Meanwhile, A&M (28-23, 6-16) continued its roller coaster of a season. Freshmen played starring roles in the Aggies’ upset win. Katie Dack delivered the walk-off RBI in the bottom of the ninth and Emiley Kennedy threw five innings of scoreless relief against Arkansas’ powerful lineup. The lefty allowed just three hits while striking out three for her 10th win. A&M beat Alabama in a series at Davis Diamond two weeks ago, but had lost five straight entering the Arkansas series, including twin 3-2 losses to Houston on Wednesday.

4. Northwestern loses to Leavitt but wins the B1G. Minnesota shocked the ‘Cats in a 8-0 run-rule victory in the series opener. Minnesota jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, taking advantage of a couple of hit batters and a defensive miscue at second. Emily Leavitt earned the start for the Golden Gophers, holding Northwestern hitless through three innings. The rookie right-hander struck out five batters in her second career shutout, giving up just three hits to an explosive offense. Minnesota knocked NU ace Danielle Williams out of the game in the third inning, handing the top 10 player of the year finalist just her third loss of the year.

Did we mention Northwestern suffered defeat and still claimed the Big Ten title? Many thought the Wildcats would have to wait another day to earn their eighth conference championship, but they benefitted from Indiana defeating Nebraska. 

5. Missouri and Utah pull off top 10 upsets. Missouri brought its hot streak to Tuscaloosa and kept rolling. Despite striking out against Montana Fouts 14 times, the Tigers found enough offense for their eighth straight win. Kim Wert hit her 16th home run of the season in the first inning to make it 2-0. No. 8 Alabama came back to score two and force the game into extras, but the dangerous Wert had an impact in another way. The Tigers had runners on second and third with two outs in the eight. The Tide decided to intentionally walk Wert to load the bases, only for Fouts to walk Kendyll Bailey to plate the go-ahead run. Jordan Weber held off Alabama in the home half for the 3-2 victory. Last time we saw Utah, it run-ruled UCLA. Hosting the hottest team in the Pac-12, the Utes gave Gabbie Plain and No. 9 Washington trouble. Using speed to produce two runs in the first, Utah eventually got out to a 5-0 lead by stealing bases and playing small ball. Mariah Lopez earned her sixth win of the season after holding Washington’s offense to only a two-run home run by Madison Huskey. The Utes earn a big-time win as a bubble team and try to stay above .500. 

6. No. 24 Wichita State scores 11 unanswered to best No. 19 UCF. The Golden Knights were already up 4-0 with the bases loaded in the fourth, but Erin McDonald was able to get a key strikeout to strand the runners. The Shocker offense repaid their pitcher for the opportunity. Neleigh Herring launched a grand slam in the fifth to tie the game. Then, Wichita State put together a seven-run sixth inning. Sydney McKinney earned a walk for the go-ahead run, Addison Barnard drove in her 76th and 77th RBIs and Lauren Mills added a three-run double. Wichita State has won 12 straight and is tied with UCF atop the AAC standings. 

7. Maggie Balint throws the first SDSU no-hitter since 2007. No. 22 San Diego State has a pretty solid grip on the Mountain West, but Maggie Balint wanted to make sure there was no slip up. The Aztec ace was one error away from a perfect game in the 4-0 win over Utah State. She struck out 12 and tossed the first no-hitter since Christina Ross threw a perfect game against Brown (five innings) on March 28, 2007. It was also Balint’s first career no-hitter as she continues to add to her resume as the favorite for Mountain West Pitcher of the Year. 

8. UConn walks-off a Big East title. If your players weren’t alive the last time your program won a regular season conference title, you might as well end that streak memorably. UConn didn’t have much work left to do entering the weekend to clinch its first regular season title since 1997 and first title of any kind since winning the Big East tourney in 2001. These Huskies were three games ahead of second-place Villanova as those same Wildcats came to visit. It still looked as if the Huskies might have to wait another day after Villanova took a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning of the opener. But with two outs and runners on second and third, Jana Sanden’s two-run single won the game and the regular-season title. This hasn’t been the easiest season for Sanden, the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year, but seeing your entire dugout sprinting toward you to celebrate a championship will do a world of good for your confidence.

9. Lizzie Shubert sinks Liberty’s perfect season. In the scheme of things, Liberty’s 7-6 loss against Stetson in Friday’s series finale (they played a doubleheader Thursday) isn’t that damaging. The Flames long ago clinched the best record in the Atlantic Sun and enter next week’s tournament as the prohibitive favorite. While not helpful, the loss shouldn’t have significant ramifications should Liberty fail to win the conference tournament and need an NCAA at-large bid. It’s one of the few mid-majors with wiggle room. But there is something special about running the table in your conference, and Liberty was three outs away from doing that with a 6-3 lead entering the seventh inning. You get where this is going. After a single and two walks loaded the bases, Stetson’s Shubert hit her second home run of the game to bring everyone home. A super senior, Shubert is hoping it wasn’t the final swing of her college career – Stetson will wait out the weekend, but the win may yet earn it a conference tourney berth. 

10. Tori Kniesche helps South Dakota State clinch Summit League in style. What is the encore for a 20-strikeout no-hitter, a feat SDSU’s co-ace pulled off a week ago? How about a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts that clinches a conference title. Kniesche and the Jackrabbits took any drama out of the final weekend of Summit League play, sweeping a doubleheader to improve to 16-2 and ensure they finish with a better winning percentage than second place Omaha. After Grace Glanzer won the opener, Kniesche shut down and shut out North Dakota in a 2-0 victory. The sophomore from Nebraska now has 60 strikeouts in 26 innings over the past two weeks. She allowed just six hits in those innings. Also of note for the now two-time champions, Rozelyn Carrillo extended her hitting streak to 23 games.

11. USC Upstate makes short work of Big South. Well, so much for that. What had all the makings of a wild, four-team conference race in the final weekend vanished in the wake of Upstate’s doubleheader sweep at Presbyterian that clinched the regular season title. The sweep not only eliminated the hosts from contention, but also boxed out both Campbell and Longwood. At best, the latter two can only match USC Upstate’s record, and the Spartans won the regular-season series against each of them. After Presbyterian took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of Friday’s opening game, USC Upstate controlled the remainder of the day. Those early runs were all Hannah Hogue allowed over two appearances, improving to 27-5 with a complete game in the opener and picking up her first save to clinch the title. A three-time champion in the Atlantic Sun, it is Upstate’s first regular season title in the Big South.

12. Marissa Bertuccio serves notice in the Big Sky. We already know Weber State is the Big Sky champion. We also know the Wildcats will be a tough out as host of next week’s conference tournament. But Sacramento State ace Marissa Bertuccio offered a reminder that a pitcher with a hot hand can turn the postseason on its head. Bertuccio struck out 13 while throwing her first career no-hitter in her team’s 2-0 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader against Southern Utah. And even with the regular season crown settled, the weekend still mattered. The top two seeds in the Big Sky receive byes that make for a much easier opening day. Sacramento State (11-6) and Portland State (10-5) are neck and neck for the No. 2 seed (Portland State’s doubleheader against Weber State was washed out Friday).

• Samantha Fowler’s no-hitter keeps Long Beach State in the Big West race. Granted, Fowler had some help from her lineup, which is why her no-hitter was of the five-inning variety in an 8-0 victory against Bakersfield. But that result, combined with Hawaii’s victory against Fullerton, means the Big West race remains unsettled for at least another day. For her part, Fowler struck out 10 of 16 batters and missed a perfect game only by the margin of a hit batter. Long Beach State (16-6) is now two games behind Fullerton (18-4). Each has two games remaining this week, and they meet in the final series next week (the Big West has no tournament). 

Bonus: Mother Nature wins again. Get ready for some super softball Saturday action after storms wiped some games off the Friday schedule and delayed others in progress. Doubleheaders will be played in most instances. Notre Dame has become something of an unfortunate weather barometer. The Irish have had seven of their eight ACC series altered this season due to weather. They are hosting Louisville, and Garth Brooks is hosting a concert at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night after taking over Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge last weekend during LSU’s home series (Garth caused a small earthquake to register while signing “Callin’ Baton Rouge”)

So long, “Elimination Saturday.” Hello, “Semifinal Monday.” The NCAA on Friday released finalized postseason scheduling information, including the new extended World Series. 

• The opening Thursday will remain the softball feast to which we’ve all grown accustomed, with all eight teams in action.
• But those teams unlucky enough to lose on Thursday could be packing their bags by Friday night. The two elimination games previously played Saturday afternoon move to Friday evening.
• The four opening day winners now get a day off before playing the two winners bracket games on Saturday evening. There are no games during the day on Saturday.
• Instead of semifinals, Sunday is reserved for the two elimination games previously played Saturday night, winnowing the field from six to four teams.
• Monday is now all about the semifinals, with anywhere from two to four games, as needed. Any if-necessary games will be played back-to-back, meaning no time to regroup for the loser.
• Tuesday becomes a day off, and a backstop if weather forces delays earlier in the tournament.
• The best-of-three championship series begins Wednesday.
• Also of note, the schedule released Friday no longer has any bracket crossover. Essentially, the WCWS becomes two parallel four-team tournaments, with the two winners reaching the championship series. While new for softball, this mirrors the baseball version in Omaha.