2017 NCAA Softball Tournament

[shockerfanmas]

Terrible plate umpiring gives the SEC 2 more wins that they shouldn't have had.

Auburn got a gift run in the 6th on a play at the plate in which Cal's catcher tagged the Auburn runner with ball in hand but the plate umpire incorrectly called the runner safe, saying the catcher bobbled the ball. Auburn never should have had a chance to walk off in the 9th.

Even more egregious umpiring in the Alabama/Minnesota game. In the bottom of the 10th, the umpire ruled that an Alabama batter was hit by a pitch when she clearly did not. Then 2 batters later, Alabama got a walk off walk, and 2 of the 4 balls were pitches down the middle that should have been strikes.

Still not impressed with SEC teams in this NCAA tournament, and definitely not impressed with the umpiring in this tournament, especially plate umpiring. Starting to buy into the conspiracy theory that it is set up for an SEC team to win it all this year. They are getting plenty of gifts, that's for sure.

[WuDrWu]

The Bison get an unearned run in the top of the 9th to take a 3-2 lead. OU up to bat trying to avoid the upset.

Romero flies out. Dynamite over the shoulder catch by the Bison shortstop saves a certain base hit. 2 out. 0-2 to the Big12 HR leader. 2-2 foul ball, 3rd base side just missed by the 3rd baseman. Strikeout on the 10th pitch.

NDSU 3 OU 2 final.

[flyingMoose]

Butler 11-7 Salt Lake

to win their second consecutive NJCAA Division I Championship.

[shockerfanmas]

Butler 11-7 Salt Lake

to win their second consecutive NJCAA Division I Championship.

Butler has the potential to be the UConn of NJCAA softball. I bet they are favorites to win it next year too

[flyingMoose]

Since I have been accused of being an umpire recently :) ...

Auburn got a gift run in the 6th on a play at the plate in which Cal's catcher tagged the Auburn runner with ball in hand but the plate umpire incorrectly called the runner safe, saying the catcher bobbled the ball. Auburn never should have had a chance to walk off in the 9th.

Yep, I agree. The ball rolled out of the pocket of the catcher's mitt, she grabbed it against her glove and made the tag. Apparently, the positioning of the umpire and the position of the catcher's body gave him the chance to miss the call. I am not sure about umpire positioning, but I would assume he was where he was supposed to be. The surprising thing is that Cal did not ask the umpire to check with his partners to see what they saw. Maybe that is not done in this situation.

Even more egregious umpiring in the Alabama/Minnesota game. In the bottom of the 10th, the umpire ruled that an Alabama batter was hit by a pitch when she clearly did not. Then 2 batters later, Alabama got a walk off walk, and 2 of the 4 balls were pitches down the middle that should have been strikes.

It did not appear to hit her body, but if the pitch brushes her uniform, it is still a hit-by-pitch. The batter certainly was looking for the call and was not surprised when she got it. The umpire made the call immediately, and I suspect he heard the hit-by-pitch. I would see one of those two pitches as high and a ball, but I agree on the last one. I thought Ball Four was a Strike and not even very close. But a catcher does her pitcher no favors by catching a Strike and then raising it - I think the catcher says to an umpire that I don't believe this pitch was in the zone, but let's see if I can fool you to thinking it was in the zone. She may have lost the Strike for her pitcher. Yes, a good umpire should ignore everything the catcher is doing and call what he sees regarding the ball and the zone.

[flyingMoose]

Oxford Regional

Southern Illinois 0-4 North Carolina

The Salukis only managed four hits, two of those in the seventh.

[flyingMoose]

Since I have been accused of being an umpire recently :) ...

To see some really nice umpiring, see the top of the eighth in the Oregon-Wisconsin game. The plate umpire properly called obstruction on the Wisconsin catcher to allow the lead run to be scored by Oregon.

[flyingMoose]

Auburn got a gift run in the 6th on a play at the plate in which Cal's catcher tagged the Auburn runner with ball in hand but the plate umpire incorrectly called the runner safe, saying the catcher bobbled the ball. Auburn never should have had a chance to walk off in the 9th.

Yep, I agree. The ball rolled out of the pocket of the catcher's mitt, she grabbed it against her glove and made the tag. Apparently, the positioning of the umpire and the position of the catcher's body gave him the chance to miss the call. I am not sure about umpire positioning, but I would assume he was where he was supposed to be. The surprising thing is that Cal did not ask the umpire to check with his partners to see what they saw. Maybe that is not done in this situation.

Hmm. After reading a post on another site, let's take another look. The catcher makes the tag with her glove with the ball pinned against the glove - the ball in her hand, but not in her glove. The bobbled-ball signal that the umpire gives is probably what is available to him to indicate that the "hands are apart" - the tag is made with one hand (glove), but the ball is controlled by the other hand. I think he got it right - a strange play, but the right call.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[flyingMoose]

Norman Regional

In the 1-0 game,

Tulsa 2-1 North Dakota State

The Bisons beat Oklahoma 3-2(9) in the completion of Friday's suspended game to get to this game. Tulsa scored two in the seventh, the second on a throwing error when NDS tried to complete a DP, a DP that had no chance.

[flyingMoose]

Norman Regional

Oklahoma 5-3 Arkansas (Sat)

Oklahoma used four pitchers in this one with Paige Lowary striking out three with runners at second and third and no outs in the seventh.


Oklahoma 10-2(6) North Dakota State

The Sooners were able to get this win using their #3 for all but two outs. They scored four in the first and were never threatened.

They next play Tulsa who has yet to lose in the Regional. If an If Game is needed, it will be played Monday.

[flyingMoose]

Norman Regional

Tulsa 4-6(10) Oklahoma

Oklahoma scored two runs in the sixth to tie the game. Tulsa took the lead in the top of the tenth, but the first four batters for the Sooners responded with single, homer, single, homer. Emily Watson pitched the entire game for Tulsa, while Paige Lowary pitched 8.1 innings in relief of Paige Parker for Oklahoma. The If Game is Monday at noon.

[flyingMoose]

Norman Regional

Oklahoma 3-0 Tulsa

Paige Parker throws an eight-hit shutout to send the Sooners to the Super Regionals against Auburn. Oklahoma lost the first game of the Regional and then won four straight to advance. Emily Watson, the ace of the Tulsa staff and the AAC, is only a junior, so the Shockers will see her next year.

[flyingMoose]

Super Regionals

LSU wins three in a row (Wichitan/Maize HS Emily Griggs had ten consecutive hits in their Regional) to advance to the Supers. This is the first time all sixteen National Seeds have advanced to the Super Regionals.


16 Alabama at 1 Florida

9 Texas A&M at 8 Tennessee

12 Ole Miss at 5 UCLA

13 LSU at 4 Florida State

14 Kentucky at 3 Oregon

11 Utah at 6 Washington

10 Oklahoma at 7 Auburn

15 Baylor at 2 Arizona


Days each Super Regional is played have not yet been set. Supers are best two-of-three.

[WuShock16]

Chalk bracket in an NCAA Division 1 women's bracket...who didn't see that one coming? #NoParity 🙄🙄🙄

[shockerfanmas]

So apparently there's a secondary postseason tournament that Illinois State is playing in. Don't know anything about it but this is the initial year. Wonder why WSU didn't try playing in it.