NCAA softball tournament 2017 scores: No. 1 Florida loses to open super regionals

No. 5 UCLA avoided upset in 11-inning thriller

The super regional round of the 2017 NCAA softball tournament began on Thursday evening with two games, among them an upset of the No. 1 seed in the sport.

The Florida Gators are the top seed in the tournament, and are hosting the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide in this best-of-three round. In Thursday’s opener, Alabama rallied for three runs without the benefit of a hit in a bizarre fifth inning.

After a walk to open the frame, the Crimson Tide tried four straight sacrifice bunts. The first saw both runners safe on a fielder’s choice, then the next two produced throwing errors on Florida that allowed three runs to score.

Alabama held on to win, 3-0.

Alabama pitcher Alexis Osorio made it hold up, allowing three hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings to earn the win, with eight strikeouts.

This is a best-of-three series, so Alabama needs just one win in the next two days to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

Same goes out west, where No. 5 UCLA rallied from behind twice in their own super regional, then beat No. 12 Mississippi, 8-7, in 11 innings.

Rachel Garcia took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, struck out seven for the Bruins, and even homered earlier in the game as UCLA led 4-0. But Ole Miss cut the lead in half with a two-run shot by Brittany Finney, then rallied for three more runs to take the lead.

UCLA was one strike away from defeat in the seventh when they scored the tying run on a wild pitch. They were one out away from defeat in the 10th, when they singled twice and got a two-run triple from Bubba Nickles to tie it.

Madeline Jelenicki collected the walk-off single to win it in the 11th for UCLA.

Amazingly, both starting pitchers lasted all 11 innings. Garcia struck out 12, and threw a whopping 232 pitches in the loss. Kaitlin Lee threw 191 pitches for Ole Miss in defeat.

Thursday scores

No. 16 Alabama 3, No. 1 Florida 0 (Alabama leads, 1-0)
No. 5 UCLA 8, No. 12 Mississippi 7, 11 innings (UCLA leads, 1-0)

Friday schedule

4 p.m. - No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Auburn (ESPN2)
5 p.m. - No. 13 LSU at No. 4 Florida State (ESPNU)
6 p.m. - No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 8 Tennessee (ESPN2)
7 p.m. - No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Alabama (ESPN)
7 p.m. - No. 14 Kentucky at No. 3 Oregon (ESPNU)
9 p.m. - No. 15 Baylor at No. 2 Arizona (ESPN or ESPN2)
9 p.m. - No. 5 UCLA vs. No. 12 Mississippi (ESPN or ESPN2)
11 p.m. - No. 11 Utah at No. 6 Kentucky (ESPN2)