Oklahoma is killing me in the 4th inning

[MTR]

ESPN3 is your friend: they still have the whole WCWS on replay.

1. The fielder was about 20ft from first base, but so what? She was there clearly to play the ball, which was about 1/2 up the baseline.

And that would be fine, if that is what she did.

2. The runner was clearly not in the lane. The fact that slappers would prefer a lane through the middle of the field is irrelevant. (If we go by preferences, pitchers would prefer it was a strike if the slapper ran through the box.)

So what? The BR is not required to be in the running lane.

3. The fielder obviously made a move to shove the runner to the side. In her defense, if you have to bend your head down to field a ball while someone is running full speed at you, you might try to create some clearance too.

Again, if that is what was happening. The runner clearly moved to the inside to avoid an oncoming fielder. As I stated before, I wouldn't expect the call, but it certainly had the potentional to be not called INT if this were a reg. season game.

I think 2 didn't leave the ump much choice, even if 3 would have been an unnecessary roughness penalty in some other sports.[/QUOTE]

 

[durwood]

The rain should be no excuse for OU. When their coach stated that they where ready to play even in the snow. Whats a little rain. OU will be back next yr. The first baseman for OU will be a beast for the next 3 yrs.

 

[LAdad]

So what? The BR is not required to be in the running lane.

No, but it is hard to claim OBS if you are out of the lane.

[...] it certainly had the potentional to be not called INT if this were a reg. season game.

Was it actually called INT, or was she just out by the force (no pun intended) at first?

 

[DOG310]

Sorry, but the excuses are coming from the couch. I think the OU coach knows that if her team had made good throws in the fourth and if Rickett hadn't let the rain get in her head they should have won that game. That's why she didn't snivel about the wx or second guess interference plays, but said we'll be back next year.

Kudos to the OU coach and her team. I'm betting they are the team to beat next year.

Congrats to Alabama for their mental toughness and willingness to persevere in less than perfect conditions.

 

[wannahit]

as a softball fan who was looking foreward to watching the best teams and players battle for the national championship, I was very dissapointing when they continued the game in those conditions, we didnt get to see the game softball as a whole deserves, just like being booted out of the olympics, the ncaa didnt give the game the respect it deserved, just hurry up and get it over with.

 

[3sDad]

Good Lord...she was 4 ft inside the lane...just watched it again...she tried go INSIDE the 1st baseman...runners lane is OUTSIDE...if catcher had the ball she coulda pinned her shoulder blades and she'd been out...SEC wins...without a bunch of California gals (like OKLA)...and meaning no disrespect to PAC 12 gals or transplants...
Rain excuse?...trust me...it freaking rains in Oklahoma between tornadoes...
The Tide won...with some Southern gals, some midwest and one west of the Rockies..Beth Mowen is probably in rehab over it...every time she said Alabama it sounded like it tasted bad...shes crowing on the rerun now on the last inning homerun...I HOPE THEY DONT USE HER NEXT YEAR!!!!! errors?...absolutely, the game is hard...the hard is why they play...if it was easy everybody could do it
Tide played their hearts out...Proud of them...ROLL TIDE!!!!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Come on folks, do you actually think this is the first game in these girls lives they played during rain? I've played in the rain, I've played in the snow, I've played in 30 degree weather where I couldn't feel my hands wrapped around the ball, I've played in 100 degree heat where I felt like passing out.

But, in each of the above guess what? So did the other team, so neither had an advantage.

 

[MTR]

No, but it is hard to claim OBS if you are out of the lane.

Well, no it is not hard at all since the lane is irrelevant to anything not involving the prevention of the defense from receiving a throw at 1B.

Was it actually called INT, or was she just out by the force (no pun intended) at first?

That's okay, it wasn't a force anyhow, but yes, the umpire killed the play before F3 threw the ball to 1B.

 

[02Crush]

I love this input so far. And wow it has jumped to a ton of pages... Here is how I feel as coach of TB and plays in the rain. The rain in this instance was not horrendous. Nor was it harder in downfall in the bottom of the inning versus the top. Alabama had the same situation as Oklahoma. They just chose to react better and win. Traina had some minor grip issues however she is a different style pitcher than Rickets.
I would say Rickets needs to develop a plan B for weather situations. As for the field....It was in fine shape no puddles, plate and bases were checked and not slippery. If the NCAA was gonna stop it they should've done so at the top of the inning allowing both team the same courtesy to wait it out. Not let one team play then another to complain and debate whether to keep playing or not. Either play ball or not that is it....that is all. Sure rain does not make softball easy...nor does it for any other sport. It is just how it went down. BTW...The pitchers can ask for another "dry ball" every pitch if they like. so a wet ball is not excuse in my mind. and @ Amy..I agree. If I was a coach I would've asked if we could begin wiping balls and replacing them every couple of pitchers. Something other than complaining. Have to make Lemonade out or Lemons in these situations b.c the players feed off the coach even in college.

 

[02Crush]

I am very curious about this play. As a slapper, it seems that it would have been nearly impossible for her NOT to be left of the line at that point during the base-running, given that the first baseman was standing precisely where she would have begun to cross over to the right side. Also, maybe I was seeing things, but didn't it look like she was trying to avoid a collision with the first-baseman at the last second, while the latter deliberately (reflexively? defensively?) shoulder-checked her anyway, knocking her to the ground, even though she (the first-baseman) was in no position to make a play? If there can be no obstruction calls as long as the runner is on the left side of the baseline, what's there to keep any fielding team from using this tactic to neutralize the quicker and more aggressive slappers (i.e., sending the first baseman to box in the runner to the left of the line and possibly instigate a collision at the cross-over point)? If a slapper has to make a sharp right turn to go around a charging first baseman on the "good" side of the line, she would forfeit a lot of the speed advantage afforded to her by slapping in the first place.

Just trying to learn something from this...

Maybe I missed something but the 1st baseman was in fair territory. Not blocking the runner from running in or near the lane not 2 feet inside the fair territory. Now....Did 1st base lean in a little to get hit a little harder and add some acting...Sure seemed like it to me.