OU softball: Sooners' Jocelyn Alo breaks OU single-season record for home runs - The Oklahoma Daily
OU softball: Sooners' Jocelyn Alo breaks OU single-season record for home runs - The Oklahoma Daily |
- OU softball: Sooners' Jocelyn Alo breaks OU single-season record for home runs - The Oklahoma Daily
- Harper's single in return ends slump, lifts Phils over Nats - USA TODAY
- Willard baseball claims first state title on walk-off single - Ozarks Sports Zone
| Posted: 05 Jun 2021 11:07 AM PDT  Oklahoma senior utility Jocelyn Alo has broken the Sooners' single-season record for home runs in a season with her sixth inning two-run home run against Georgia in the Women's College World Series.
Alo's 30 home runs as a freshman in 2018 were tied for the previous record with former OU first baseman Lauren Chamberlain, who also had 30 in 2012 and 2013. Entering the game against Georgia, Alo had a .487 batting average. The Hawaii native was also named the NFCA Player of the Year before the tournament June 1. The Sooners run-ruled Georgia 8-0 in six innings and will play UCLA in an elimination game at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Oklahoma City. |
| Harper's single in return ends slump, lifts Phils over Nats - USA TODAY Posted: 05 Jun 2021 05:16 PM PDT  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a run-scoring single that stopped an 0-for-18 skid in his return from the injured list, Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Saturday. Harper was in right field and hit third after missing 11 games with a left wrist injury. "It wasn't feeling right," Harper said of his wrist. "It really just wasn't feeling good when I was swinging or any other activity, really. I feel a lot better." He was hit by a pitch in the sixth, taking a Joe Ross slider off the top of his left foot, but remained in the game. Manager Joe Girardi said afterward that Harper might be a little sore on Sunday, but didn't appear to be significantly hurt. Harper was hurt on April 28 when a 97 mph fastball from St. Louis' Genesis Cabrera hit him on the face and then the left wrist. He returned to the lineup after three days off but struggled. The six-time All-Star and former NL MVP had just one homer and three RBIs in 15 games in May while slashing just .211/.318/.316 with 26 strikeouts in 57 at-bats. The Phillies placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 25 after an 0-for-16 stretch that included 10 strikeouts. "I'm ready to go," he said. "When I step on the field, I try to bring passion into what I do every single day. I'm excited to get out there and grind with my guys." The Phillies were happy for his return, too. "There's a lot of different things he can do, and we've obviously missed that," Girardi said. "And it's great to have him back." Said McCutchen, "We all know what he can do. It's good to have him back. It's going to strengthen the lineup." Washington's Josh Harrison was hit by pitches twice, by starter Spencer Howard and by Ranger Suárez (1-0), who won by pitching three hitless innings. Rhys Hoskins had an RBI for Philadelphia, which won for just the second time in the last six games. Josh Bell went deep for the Nationals. Washington's run differential dropped to minus-25. "We have to keep grinding," manager Dave Martinez said. "Sometimes I feel like we're really close to busting out of it. Today just wasn't that day." Connor Brogdon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save since 2019 at Double-A. Ross (2-6) gave up four runs — all unearned — and three hits in six innings. With Washington ahead 1-0 in the fourth, Bell booted Jean Segura's one-out grounder for an error. After Harper, Hoskins blooped an RBI single for a 12-game hitting streak and McCutchen hit an 84 mph slider to left for his 10th homer. Bell homered against José Alvarado leading off the eighth. The Nationals put two on with no outs, but Alex Avila lined out, Victor Robles flied and, pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman struck out. "We had the right matchups; it just didn't happen," Martinez said. Harper singled off Sam Clay in the eighth. Washington scored in the third when Juan Soto's grounder that went through Segura's legs at second base and allowed Trea Turner to score from third, Howard allowed an unearned run and one hit in 2 1/3 innings. BOO BIRDS Soto was booed one day after hitting the go-ahead homer in the sixth inning of Friday's 2-1 Nationals victory over Philadelphia. Soto stared down Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler after the hit. Travis Jankowski also was booed by Phillies fans when he replaced McCutchen in the field in the seventh as part of a double-switch. Jankowski made a baserunning mistake in the ninth Friday when he was tagged out between second and third for the first out of the inning. TRAINER'S ROOM Nationals; C Yan Gomes (hamstring) was sidelined for the third straight game and is day to day. ... RHP Erick Fedde (COVID-19 injured list) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings on Saturday in a rehab start at High-A Wilmington. Fedde threw 48 of 72 pitches for strikes. Phillies: SS Didi Gregorius (right elbow) took batting practice prior. He has been out since May 12. UP NEXT RHP Vince Velasquez (2-1, 4.08) starts for Philadelphia in the series finale on Sunday. The Nationals will use a bullpen-by-committee, but Martinez didn't name an opener following Saturday's game. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
| Willard baseball claims first state title on walk-off single - Ozarks Sports Zone Posted: 05 Jun 2021 07:14 PM PDT  By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com) This one's for the beloved former player and coach known as "Atch". This one's for all the past teams that got so close. This one's for the Willard community. State champions. Finally. With a walk-off hit from sophomore Kyden McMain in the bottom of the seventh, Willard defeated Grain Valley 9-8 in the Class 5 state championship game at US Ballpark in Ozark. The victory marks the first team state championship for Willard High School in any boys' sport. "I just tried to be calm out there," McMain said. "I knew I was capable and just had to stay in that mindset. We've never had a state championship before, so to do it for our seniors and our team and all the adversity we've gone through, it was pretty cool." The Tigers trailed 8-7 entering the seventh, but tied it on Elliott Friend's RBI single. Two batters later, McMain, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Hitting just .231 on the season, he singled through the right side to score Kade Biellier. McMain's teammates thanked him with a celebratory dogpile. "It's crazy with that kid," said Willard senior and starting pitcher Gavin Burk. "He hasn't had a lot of at-bats this year, he gets pinch-hit for and then he has the biggest at-bat of his life and comes through." There were no shortage of meaningful storylines for Willard. The Tigers finally have a state championship on the boys' side. They got closure after suffering a heartbreaking loss in the 2019 semifinals and a canceled 2020 season. Maybe most of it all: They won it for Justin Atchison, a 2013 Willard graduate and former assistant coach. He died in the fall of 2018 in a hunting accident. Atchison coached a few of Willard's current players, including senior Blake Hultgren. "He was one of the most important people in my life," Hultgren said. "He's who I aspire to be. He's special to me… I know he's up there smiling at us all. "I don't even know how to explain (winning state). I'm at a loss for words. It's amazing." Rather than retire Atchison's jersey, the Tigers keep his legacy going by assigning No. 4 to a current player. Hultgren wore No. 4 this season. "We give that number to the player we feel best represents Atch in their lives," said Willard coach Scott McGee. "If you show up to Willard games, the guy that's wearing No. 4 is the person we think represents Atch the most. "We think about him every day. It's not just the players. Anybody who knew Atch would tell you what a great person he was. His legacy has lived on through so many people." How Willard won its first state championship will be talked about for a long time. The Tigers scored in each of the first four innings, including three runs in the fourth. Hayden Rakestraw had an RBI single and Hultgren had a sac-fly RBI that put Willard ahead 7-2. CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME Grain Valley starter Riley Brown lasted only two innings. Grain Valley (27-9 overall) chipped away at Willard's lead behind a four-run fifth inning. The Eagles went ahead 8-7 in the sixth on Parker Bosserman's RBI double and Kaden Jeffries' RBI single. After leading all game, Willard now had an 8-7 deficit with only six outs left. "We've been in a lot of close games this year and always seem to find a way to win," said Burk, who allowed two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings pitched. "It prepared us for a game like this." For the second day in a row, Willard won in walk-off fashion. Cooper Hampton and Biellier ignited the Willard rally with back-to-back singles in the seventh. Friend's RBI single tied it; two batters later, McMain won it. "He's struggled offensively at times, but he's such a competitive kid," McGee said of McMain. "First at-bat, he gets a triple. Second at-bat, his head coach pinch hits for him – that says something. Third at-bat, to still have the confidence to come up and hit the game-winner, it's unbelievable what he did today." The Tigers overcame two errors and some base-running mishaps – four runners were tagged out, including two at third base – to prevail. "That's kind of a fitting end to our season," McGee said. "We made some bad move as coaches, did some bad things base-running wise, made some bad plays defensively, but we just kept on coming back." Klayton Kiser came on in relief and recorded the final five outs. Grain Valley threatened to add to its lead in the seventh, with runners on second and third and only one out. Kiser struck out the next two hitters. "(Kiser) has tremendous stuff," McGee said. "He's in and out of the zone at times, but today he was in the zone. He pitched us out of multiple jams." Willard finishes 27-10 overall and figures to be a state contender next season as well. The Tigers graduate a six-player senior class. "This Willard program has meant so much to me," Hultgren said. "I've had great teammates and great coaches." McGee, in his 14th season as Willard's head coach, has seen many past teams get close to winning it all. The Tigers lost in the state semifinals in 2012, 2013 and 2019. "I'm so proud of our Willard community, because when you invest in something like that, eventually you're going to be rewarded," McGee said. "We've had some tough breaks and some tough moments. We've had teams that were really, really good and were almost there." |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "single" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment