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New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Liberty conquered No. 1 Texas A&M to reach first-ever super regionals: ‘A true David and Goliath thing'
If you're going to slay a giant, you're going to need a good scouting report. Down 3-1 with two outs and a man on second, Savannah Jessee had one. She knew what was coming. By the third and final game between Liberty and Texas A&M on Sunday in the NCAA softball tournament regional round, Jessee said she had learned pitcher Emiley Kennedy's tendencies. Jessee had a hunch Kennedy would try to even the count on her next pitch, so she readied her swing. 'I knew that pitch was going to be right where I wanted it to be,' Jessee said in a news conference Tuesday. 'I saw it well. I was perfectly on time and I was able to stay through it and put it over.' Savannah Jessee ties it up‼️ 📺- @ESPNPlus #NoLimitsOnUs | @LibertySB — Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) May 19, 2025 Jessee hammered a home run over left field, bringing in two runs and tying the score at 3. Three batters later, with runners on first and third and Grace Sparks on the mound after a Texas A&M pitching change, Rachel Roupe enacted the same strategy as Jessee. The Conference USA Softball Player of the Year took the first pitch to get her timing down, she said, before seeing the next pitch right where she wanted. Advertisement She swung and watched as the ball hit the scoreboard and ricocheted back onto the field. Roupe's blast gave Liberty a 6-3 pad. 'I was just trying to get the ball in play,' Roupe said in Tuesday's news conference. 'That's when you hit your home runs, when you're not trying.' RACHEL ROUPE DOES IT AGAIN 💣💣💣 📺- @ESPNPlus #NoLimitsOnUs | @LibertySB — Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) May 19, 2025 Roupe's hit proved the victorious one. The Flames gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth and none in the seventh for the 6-5 victory. Their takedown of the Aggies was the first time in tournament history that the No. 1 seed did not advance out of the regional round. It also marked Liberty's first-ever run to the super regionals. 'It was a true David and Goliath thing,' Jessee said. David and Goliath is a biblical tale of a young shepherd boy David, who challenges and defeats a giant, Goliath, with only a sling and stones. With God's help, the story says, David struck the giant in the forehead, killing him. Many players on Liberty, an evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Va., are strong in their religious beliefs. Coach Dot Richardson said Tuesday that much of the game plan is contingent on God's plan — like drawing Goliath-like Texas A&M in the first place. The team's belief that everything happens according to God's will allows them to play freely and unbothered, she said. 'I am not surprised where we are because they just play with so much freedom,' Richardson said. 'That's what happens when you see great athletes play with freedom, great things happen.' Leading 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh of Game 7, Liberty's Kaylan Yoder took that liberation with her to the mound. She needed three outs to send her team to the supers. She got them in five batters. Advertisement 'It's all God, man,' she said May 20 on Delmarva Sports Network. 'That's the only thing I can give credit to because I went out and I never felt so much peace in a big moment.' All thanks to her own advice. 'The last game, Yoder told me, 'When you're struggling and there's a big moment, sometimes I either think about nothing or I think about the Lord,'' Jessee said. 'That's what she told me before I went up and hit my home run, and I told her the same thing when she went out to pitch.' But Liberty's conquest of the giant didn't happen overnight. It took years for the program to recruit talent and build the depth required to beat an SEC powerhouse in the postseason. Before 2025, Liberty made — and lost — four regional finals. Last year, No. 11 Georgia beat Liberty 3-2 in the regional final on a walk-off win. In 2023, San Diego State rallied from an early 2-0 hole to best the Flames in the final, and James Madison posted a five-run fifth inning to send Liberty home in the finals the year before that. South Carolina beat Liberty both times in the finals to advance out of its 2018 regionals. This year, the Flames were CUSA regular-season and tournament champions for the second year in a row. Led by star hitters Roupe, Jessee, KK Madrey, Paige Doerr and Savannah Woodard, they made their eighth playoff appearance and are one of two teams (Miami Ohio) outside the Power 4 conferences to appear in each of the last five regionals. The Flames knew 2025 should've been a season of reclaiming a regionals victory instead of continuing to seek their first one. After a 10-5 victory over Marist on May 16, Liberty matched up against Texas A&M for the first time in the tournament the following day. There, the Flames stunned the Aggies 8-5. That's when Jessee realized Liberty was in the driver's seat and this time — needing only one more win as opposed to Texas A&M's two — it wouldn't relinquish control of the wheel. Advertisement 'I just knew when we won that game that we were gonna win the whole thing,' Jessee said of the regional round. Liberty plays No. 14 Oregon in the super regional round starting Friday at 10 p.m. ET in Eugene. The schools have met in other sports this academic year: Oregon football thumped Liberty 45-6 in the 2024 Fiesta Bowl and Oregon men's basketball blew out Liberty 81-52 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament first round. But Roupe is looking forward to the chance to even the scales. 'I'm so excited for a women's team to get the job done,' she said. (Top photo of Liberty players celebrating in a game this spring: Michael Wyke / AP Photo)
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NCAA softball tournament super regional schedule breakdown in race for Women's College World Series
NCAA softball tournament super regional schedule breakdown in race for Women's College World Series Show Caption Hide Caption How the SEC's softball dominance could carry it through to the Women's College World Series The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson shares the top storylines she's following through the NCAA softball tournament, starting with the SEC's biggest strengths. The round of 16 has arrived in the NCAA softball tournament. The remaining teams are set to square off in eight super regional series, with the winners earning a ticket to the sport's showcase event, the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. Two of the eight best-of-three matchups, hosted by fifth-seeded Florida State and No. 6 Texas, will get started Thursday night, with the rest starting on Friday. All could be wrapped up as early as Saturday, but the odds are there will be at least one series that will require a decisive third contest. Here's a breakdown of the matchups and the schedule with TV channels for each series (all times eastern). No. 16 Oregon vs. Liberty Liberty made the biggest splash of the regionals by eliminating top overall seed Texas A&M. Outfielder Rachel Roupe provides much of the pop from the plate with 23 homers and 73 RBI. Oregon's Lyndsey Grein has a 28-2 record with a 2.15 ERA. Friday, May 23 Game 1, 10 p.m., ESPNU Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary. No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama This Sooners team might not be quite as dominant as some of its recent championship squads, but it finds ways to win more often than not. It usually starts in the circle with Sam Landry, who is 22-4 with an ERA of 2.00. The sparkplug for the Crimson Tide is freshman sensation Audrey Vandagriff, who bats .406 and has swiped 50 bases. Friday, May 23 Game 1, 5 p.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 3 p.m., ESPN Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary. No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia The Bulldogs had to go on the road for their regional but overcame Duke in extra innings in an elimination game to earn this date with the archrival Gators. Florida's Taylor Shumaker (.387, 21 HR, 83 RBI) was named national freshman of the year by Softball America. Friday, May 23 Game 1, 11 a.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary. No. 4 Arkansas vs. Mississippi Arkansas overcame an early challenge by Oklahoma State but powered through the remainder of its regional. The catalyst for the Razorbacks is Bri Ellis (.457, 26 HR, 72 RBI), who already has single-season school records in the latter two categories. Ole Miss, however, took two of three from the Razorbacks in Oxford back in March. Friday, May 23 Game 1, 8 p.m., ESPNU Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 9 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary. No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Texas Tech The Seminoles and Red Raiders take the field first this weekend. FSU shortstop Isa Torres is a textbook leadoff hitter with a .448 batting average and 70 runs scored. But she and the 'Noles will be up against one of the nation's most dominant pitchers in Red Raiders junior NiJaree Canady, who has struck out 272 over 191 innings. Thursday, May 22 Game 1, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Friday, May 23 Game 2, 3 p.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 3, 7 p.m., if necessary. No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson National runners-up in Oklahoma City a year ago, the Longhorns look to take the next step on their redemption tour. If they do it, it will likely be battery mates Teagan Kavan and Reese Atwood setting the tone. The Tigers feature ACC pitcher of the year Reese Basinger and do-everything freshman Macey Cintron. Thursday, May 22 Game 1, 9 p.m., ESPN2 Friday, May 23 Game 2, 9 p.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 3, 9 p.m., if necessary. No. 10 Tennessee vs. Nebraska The star power in this series makes it arguably the most compelling of the weekend. In this corner, the Volunteers have the nation's ERA leader in Karlyn Pickens with a minuscule 0.90 average through 186.1 innings pitched. The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, have two-way standout Jordyn Bahl, who can take over a game with her arm and her bat. Friday, May 23 Game 1, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 5 p.m., ESPN Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary. No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA The overall strength of the SEC likely helped the Gamecocks' case for hosting privileges for this series that could certainly go either way. Jori Heard and the rest of the South Carolina pitching staff will have their hands full with the Bruins' one-two power punch of Megan Grant (25 HRs) and Jordan Woolery (22). Friday, May 23 Game 1, 1 p.m., ESPN2 Saturday, May 24 Game 2, 1 p.m., ESPN Sunday, May 25 Game 3, if necessary.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NCAA softball tournament regional recap: How 2 top-10 teams — including No. 1 Texas A&M — went out
The first weekend of the NCAA softball tournament brought the unprecedented this year. Texas A&M became the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the regional round, losing to Liberty on Sunday to end a stunningly roller-coaster day. Liberty defeated Texas A&M in the teams' first meeting Saturday, meaning the Aggies had to beat the Flames twice Sunday to stave off elimination. After Texas A&M roared back to defeat Liberty in extra innings in Sunday's first game — a game that included 25 runs and multi-run comebacks from both teams — the Aggies couldn't hold a lead in the nightcap. A five-run sixth inning was the difference in a 6-5 Liberty win. Advertisement Liberty forged ahead to the super regional round for the first time in program history and became the early story of the 2025 tournament. '(It) doesn't surprise me,' Liberty senior and Conference USA Softball Player of the Year Rachel Roupe said Sunday. The Flames, the CUSA champions, will travel to play No. 16 Oregon in the super regional. They were one of four unseeded teams to pull upsets on seeded opponents' home fields over the weekend. Nebraska, led by former Oklahoma star and 2023 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player Jordy Bahl, advanced out of the Baton Rouge regional without needing to face No. 10 LSU. Southeastern Louisiana upset LSU twice to knock out the Tigers, but the Cornhuskers breezed to 14-1 and 8-0 wins over SLU to advance. Bahl finished the regional 5-for-5 with four home runs at the plate and allowed just two hits over 12 innings in the circle. Advertisement Ole Miss and No. 13 Arizona squared off twice Sunday, with the Wildcats forcing a Game 7 earlier in the day before Ole Miss' 7-3 thumping in the final game. It was a similar story for No. 14 Duke and Georgia, with the Bulldogs reigning supreme in Game 7 by a 5-2 margin. No. 2 Oklahoma, the SEC tournament co-champion alongside Texas A&M, outscored its opponents 31-3 in three wins and remains in pursuit of its fifth straight national championship. Regional winners Bryan-College Station: Liberty Liberty's 8-5 upset of Texas A&M on Saturday set the stage for the biggest upset in NCAA history on Sunday. The Flames beat the Aggies in two of three outings, with the last two games both needing all seven innings and every second to claim victory. Advertisement 'We were battling all day long,' Roupe said. 'It took us eight hours to do it. But whatever we needed to get it done, and we did it.' Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma The Sooners cruised through the regionals unscathed. Oklahoma shut out Boston University 8-0 before defeating Cal two straight times, 11-2 and 12-1. Oklahoma will make its 15th straight super regional appearance, the longest active streak in Division I, per the SEC Network. Gainesville: No. 3 Florida Florida was so dominant in its regional that it run-ruled its opponents in all three games. It was the first time in program history that the Gators have done so. Advertisement Florida's final scores were 8-0 against Mercer, 14-6 against Florida Atlantic and 8-0 against Mercer again in the final. Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas After shutting out Saint Louis 10-0, Arkansas saw its super regional hopes flounder in its matchup versus Oklahoma State. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Razorbacks senior Courtney Day doubled to bring in two runs, and another double from freshman Ella McDowell knotted the game at five to send it to extra innings. After a scoreless top of the eighth for the Cowboys, Day's at-bat — again — saved the day for the Razorbacks. A single with bases loaded gave Arkansas the 6-5 victory, and it went on to thrash Oklahoma State 12-0 in the finals the next day. Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State Auburn took Florida State to a Game 7 in its regional round, but the Seminoles started the final strong with two runs in the first inning and ended it strong with two runs over the fifth and sixth innings for the 4-0 win. Advertisement Austin: No. 6 Texas The Longhorns frolicked their way to the super regionals, ousting all opponents by a 35-6 margin. Texas beat every opponent in its regional bracket — Eastern Illinois, Michigan and UCF, respectively. Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee Tennessee's smooth journey through regionals started by blasting Miami (Ohio) 17-0 in its opening game. A double defeat of Ohio State followed for the regional crown. Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina After cruising past North Florida 8-0 in the regional final, South Carolina is heading to its first super regionals since 2018 and first under first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard. Advertisement Chastain Woodard, a former Gamecocks pitcher and graduate assistant coach, was hired in June 2024. Los Angeles: No. 9 UCLA UCLA went on a 31-2 tear en route to a seamless run through the regional, ending each game by the run rule. Baton Rouge: Nebraska Bahl became the fourth player in NCAA history to have 20 home runs and 20 wins in the same season following her regional-round dominance. Clemson: No. 11 Clemson Clemson and Northwestern were scoreless through eight innings before freshman Marian Collins bunted the team to victory. Her hit brought in the runner on third, and the Tigers' defense in the bottom of the ninth got the Wildcats out in four batters. The Tigers then toppled Kentucky 5-1 for a trip to their third super regionals in four years. Advertisement Lubbock: No. 12 Texas Tech Texas Tech made its first super regionals in school history after squeaking by Mississippi State 9-6. The Bulldogs posted a three-run fifth inning to narrow the gap 7-6, but the Red Raiders never relinquished their wire-to-wire lead. Tucson: Ole Miss Ole Miss bested No. 13 Arizona twice in the last three games of the regional round to advance. It marked the first time in program history that Ole Miss took down a national seed in the NCAA softball tournament. The Rebels also snapped the Wildcats' 23-game regional win streak. Durham: Georgia Georgia junior Jaydyn Goodwin nailed a home run over right field in extra innings to earn Georgia's winning run in a 5-2 victory against Duke in the winner-take-all Game 7. It was Goodwin's team-best 12th homer of the year. With the win, the Bulldogs advance to their third straight super regionals and fourth in the last five seasons. Advertisement Tuscaloosa: No. 15 Alabama Three wins in a row, and Alabama secured its third straight and record-setting 19th super regionals. Eugene: No. 16 Oregon Oregon and Stanford were tied 7-all in the bottom of the seventh. With a runner on first and third, Oregon senior Dezianna Patmon hammered a homer to left field for the walk-off win. Oregon was the last team to secure a spot in the super regionals — and it's a home game at that, after Liberty's defeat of No. 1 Texas A&M set up a Ducks-Flames second-round matchup. Super regional schedule All times in ET. Each series is best of three. Eugene: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon Game 1: Friday, 10 p.m. Advertisement Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama Game 1: Friday, 5 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 3 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Gainesville: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia Game 1: Friday, 11 a.m. Game 2: Saturday, 11 a.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss Game 1: Friday, 8 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 9 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Texas Tech Game 1: Thursday, 7 p.m. Game 2: Friday, 3 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Saturday Austin: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson Game 1: Thursday, 9 p.m. Game 2: Friday, 9 p.m. Advertisement Game 3 (if needed): Saturday Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 5 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA Game 1: Friday, 1 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 1 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Women's College Basketball, College Sports, Women's College Sports 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NCAA softball tournament regional recap: How 2 top-10 teams — including No. 1 Texas A&M — went out
The first weekend of the NCAA softball tournament brought the unprecedented this year. Texas A&M became the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the regional round, losing to Liberty on Sunday to end a stunningly roller-coaster day. Liberty defeated Texas A&M in the teams' first meeting Saturday, meaning the Aggies had to beat the Flames twice Sunday to stave off elimination. After Texas A&M roared back to defeat Liberty in extra innings in Sunday's first game — a game that included 25 runs and multi-run comebacks from both teams — the Aggies couldn't hold a lead in the nightcap. A five-run sixth inning was the difference in a 6-5 Liberty win. Advertisement Liberty forged ahead to the super regional round for the first time in program history and became the early story of the 2025 tournament. '(It) doesn't surprise me,' Liberty senior and Conference USA Softball Player of the Year Rachel Roupe said Sunday. History 👏#RoadToWCWS x 🎥 @LibertySB — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 19, 2025 The Flames, the CUSA champions, will travel to play No. 16 Oregon in the super regional. They were one of four unseeded teams to pull upsets on seeded opponents' home fields over the weekend. Nebraska, led by former Oklahoma star and 2023 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player Jordy Bahl, advanced out of the Baton Rouge regional without needing to face No. 10 LSU. Southeastern Louisiana upset LSU twice to knock out the Tigers, but the Cornhuskers breezed to 14-1 and 8-0 wins over SLU to advance. Bahl finished the regional 5-for-5 with four home runs at the plate and allowed just two hits over 12 innings in the circle. Ole Miss and No. 13 Arizona squared off twice Sunday, with the Wildcats forcing a Game 7 earlier in the day before Ole Miss' 7-3 thumping in the final game. It was a similar story for No. 14 Duke and Georgia, with the Bulldogs reigning supreme in Game 7 by a 5-2 margin. No. 2 Oklahoma, the SEC tournament co-champion alongside Texas A&M, outscored its opponents 31-3 in three wins and remains in pursuit of its fifth straight national championship. Bryan-College Station: Liberty Liberty's 8-5 upset of Texas A&M on Saturday set the stage for the biggest upset in NCAA history on Sunday. The Flames beat the Aggies in two of three outings, with the last two games both needing all seven innings and every second to claim victory. 'We were battling all day long,' Roupe said. 'It took us eight hours to do it. But whatever we needed to get it done, and we did it.' Advertisement Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma The Sooners cruised through the regionals unscathed. Oklahoma shut out Boston University 8-0 before defeating Cal two straight times, 11-2 and 12-1. Oklahoma will make its 15th straight super regional appearance, the longest active streak in Division I, per the SEC Network. SUPERS BOUND‼️ No. 2 Oklahoma blasts Cal, 12-1, to advance to the program's 18th Super Regional!@OU_Softball x @NCAASoftball — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 18, 2025 Gainesville: No. 3 Florida Florida was so dominant in its regional that it run-ruled its opponents in all three games. It was the first time in program history that the Gators have done so. Florida's final scores were 8-0 against Mercer, 14-6 against Florida Atlantic and 8-0 against Mercer again in the final. Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas After shutting out Saint Louis 10-0, Arkansas saw its super regional hopes flounder in its matchup versus Oklahoma State. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Razorbacks senior Courtney Day doubled to bring in two runs, and another double from freshman Ella McDowell knotted the game at five to send it to extra innings. After a scoreless top of the eighth for the Cowboys, Day's at-bat — again — saved the day for the Razorbacks. A single with bases loaded gave Arkansas the 6-5 victory, and it went on to thrash Oklahoma State 12-0 in the finals the next day. Arkansas completes the comeback! 🤩@RazorbackSB rallies vs. Oklahoma State to win in walk-off fashion on the #RoadToWCWS — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 17, 2025 Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State Auburn took Florida State to a Game 7 in its regional round, but the Seminoles started the final strong with two runs in the first inning and ended it strong with two runs over the fifth and sixth innings for the 4-0 win. Austin: No. 6 Texas The Longhorns frolicked their way to the super regionals, ousting all opponents by a 35-6 margin. Texas beat every opponent in its regional bracket — Eastern Illinois, Michigan and UCF, respectively. Advertisement Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee Tennessee's smooth journey through regionals started by blasting Miami (Ohio) 17-0 in its opening game. A double defeat of Ohio State followed for the regional crown. Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina After cruising past North Florida 8-0 in the regional final, South Carolina is heading to its first super regionals since 2018 and first under first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard. Chastain Woodard, a former Gamecocks pitcher and graduate assistant coach, was hired in June 2024. Los Angeles: No. 9 UCLA UCLA went on a 31-2 tear en route to a seamless run through the regional, ending each game by the run rule. Baton Rouge: Nebraska Bahl became the fourth player in NCAA history to have 20 home runs and 20 wins in the same season following her regional-round dominance. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? JORDY BAHL DOES IT AGAIN 😱😱😱 — Nebraska Softball (@HuskerSoftball) May 18, 2025 Clemson: No. 11 Clemson Clemson and Northwestern were scoreless through eight innings before freshman Marian Collins bunted the team to victory. Her hit brought in the runner on third, and the Tigers' defense in the bottom of the ninth got the Wildcats out in four batters. We're on the board! Vieira scores on a Collins' bunt. Clemson leads 1-0 with one out. 📺ESPN+ — Clemson Softball 🥎 (@clemsonsoftball) May 17, 2025 The Tigers then toppled Kentucky 5-1 for a trip to their third super regionals in four years. Lubbock: No. 12 Texas Tech Texas Tech made its first super regionals in school history after squeaking by Mississippi State 9-6. The Bulldogs posted a three-run fifth inning to narrow the gap 7-6, but the Red Raiders never relinquished their wire-to-wire lead. Tucson: Ole Miss Ole Miss bested No. 13 Arizona twice in the last three games of the regional round to advance. It marked the first time in program history that Ole Miss took down a national seed in the NCAA softball tournament. Advertisement The Rebels also snapped the Wildcats' 23-game regional win streak. Durham: Georgia Georgia junior Jaydyn Goodwin nailed a home run over right field in extra innings to earn Georgia's winning run in a 5-2 victory against Duke in the winner-take-all Game 7. It was Goodwin's team-best 12th homer of the year. FIRST PITCH OF THE EIGHTH INNING IS OUTTA HERE 💣 Top 8️⃣🐶 3🔵 2 📺 ACCN📱 (ESPN+)📊 | #GoDawgs — Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) May 18, 2025 With the win, the Bulldogs advance to their third straight super regionals and fourth in the last five seasons. Tuscaloosa: No. 15 Alabama Three wins in a row, and Alabama secured its third straight and record-setting 19th super regionals. Eugene: No. 16 Oregon Oregon and Stanford were tied 7-all in the bottom of the seventh. With a runner on first and third, Oregon senior Dezianna Patmon hammered a homer to left field for the walk-off win. Oregon was the last team to secure a spot in the super regionals — and it's a home game at that, after Liberty's defeat of No. 1 Texas A&M set up a Ducks-Flames second-round matchup. GOODBYE SOFTBALL!!!@dezianna_patmon's homer means Oregon will be HOSTING THE SUPER REGIONALS NEXT WEEKEND!!!#GoDucks | #Version7 — Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 19, 2025 All times in ET. Each series is best of three. Eugene: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama Gainesville: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Texas Tech Austin: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas A&M becomes first No. 1 seed to miss Super Regionals in NCAA softball tournament
Editor's note: As the NCAA softball tournament moves on to the super regionals, here are the winners and losers of the regional weekend of action. In a day full of emotional whiplash, Sunday's regionals ended in desolation at College Station, Texas. Advertisement It started in Game 1 of Sunday's regional round, a must-win for No. 1 seed Texas A&M. After the Aggies fell behind 6-0 to unseedeed Liberty, they stormed back to ultimately pull out a 14-11 win in eight innings and force a winner-take-all game against the Lady Flames. The Aggies then jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap before Liberty right fielder Rachel Roupe homered to open the scoring for Liberty. Texas A&M gave up another five runs to go down 6-3, before ultimately losing 6-5 following a spirited comeback attempt. "I'm just trying to process everything," Roupe said about the Flames' historic win on ESPN2 after the game. " ... Weight lifted off your shoulder. We were battling all day long. It took us, I don't know, many hours? Eight hours? Whatever we needed to do to get it done, we did it." Advertisement Kaylan Yoder was key for Liberty, coming in and tossing 1⅔ innings after ace Elena Escobar was run in the sixth. The five-run sixth was ultimately the difference for the Lady Flames, and the Aggies were unable to overcome the late onslaught. It's an inauspicious loss for the Aggies, who became the first No. 1 overall seed to miss the Super Regional round. Texas A&M, of course, got that No. 1 seed when the SEC Championship game against Oklahoma was cancelled, giving the Aggies the top seed in the NCAA tournament and Oklahoma getting No. 2. WHO'S IN SUPER REGIONALS? Updated bracket, schedule for NCAA softball tournament Has a No. 1 seed ever missed NCAA softball Super Regionals? Texas A&M's loss Sunday made the Aggies the first No. 1 seed to ever fail to advance out of the regional round of the tournament. Advertisement In fact, according to the ESPN broadcast, Texas A&M was the only the second No. 1 seed to even lose a game in the NCAA Division I softball tournament. As the No. 1 seed in 2012, California lost a game in regionals to Arkansas then came back to capture two must-win games against the Razorbacks to advance. The Aggies have not made the Women's College World Series since 2017, while Liberty's win Sunday propelled the Lady Flames to the Super Regional round for the first time in program history. Texas A&M went 47-10 in the regular season and 16-7 in the SEC. It has not won the Women's College World Series since the current format was introduced in 2005 after winning two national championships in 1983 and 1987. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas A&M out of NCAA softball tournament after losing to LIberty
