OKLAHOMA CITY — Marlie Giles blasted a sixth-inning solo home run to lift Alabama to a 2-1 victory over Duke in the Women’s College World Series on Friday.
The Crimson Tide (39-19) will take on Texas or Florida on Sunday in an elimination game. Duke’s season ends at 52-9 after their first-ever appearance in the WCWS.
Alabama had just three hits going into the sixth, before Giles reached out and poked left-hander Cassidy Curd’s 1-0 offering out to right-center field for her team-leading seventh home run of the season.
The Crimson Tide took the lead in the first on an unearned run after Kenleigh Cahalan reached second on an error and came around on Giles’ double.
Giles missed more than a month of the season with a broken arm before returning in early May.
Duke’s Ana Gold tied it with a solo homer to left-center off Jocelyn Briski in the second.
After Gold’s one-out single in the fourth, Alabama brought in Kayla Beaver, who went the distance in the Crimson Tide’s 4-1 opening-round loss to UCLA.
Beaver (19-10) was excellent, retiring all 11 batters she faced, including striking out pinch-hitter Sarah Goddard to end the game and keep the Crimson Tide alive.
Beaver threw 45 pitches, 39 for strikes.
–Field Level Media
Greg Gumbel, the longtime CBS Sports anchor and play-by-play announcer most associated with the network’s NCAA Tournament coverage, has died, his family confirmed Friday. He was 78. “(Gumbel) passed away…
In the final days of the 2024 calendar, there’s a lot to look forward to in the sports world in 2025. Field Level Media surveyed writers and editors in its…
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the NCAA in an attempt to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s college sports, according to a release issued on Paxton’s website Sunday….
25 to watch in 2025
Texas AG sues NCAA over transgender participation
Penn State beat Louisville to win NCAA volleyball crown
President Biden drops efforts to protect transgender athletes
Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM
