OKLAHOMA CITY — Washington is closing in on the Women’s College World Series final.
The Huskies (48-11) are one victory from the championship round after beating defending champion Arizona State 1-0 in eight innings Friday night. Morgan Stuart singled home the winning run and Danielle Lawrie pitched a two-hitter for third-seeded Washington.
Arizona State (47-18) must win three in a row to get to the championship game.
Stuart hit a soft line drive out of the reach of shortstop Katelyn Boyd to bring home Kimi Pohlman, who doubled with one out and moved up on a pop fly.
Lawrie (39-7), the national player of the year, didn’t walk a batter and retired 15 straight at one point.
Washington had a player thrown out at the plate and also squandered a scoring opportunity with a runner on third and nobody out in the seventh against freshman Hillary Bach (31-10).
Florida 1, Michigan 0.
Megan Bush homered and Stacey Nelson threw her second consecutive shutout.
A matchup of two of the nation’s top three pitching staffs didn’t disappoint. Nelson pitched a one-hitter for her 21st shutout of the season, and the Gators (62-3) held an opponent scoreless for the 39th time this season. Nelson (41-3) allowed only Bree Evans’ single up the middle in the fourth inning.
Bush, 1-for-16 in last year’s World Series, hit her second home run in as many days. Her drive off Michigan reliever Nikki Nemitz (28-6) landed about 10 rows into the left-field stands.
The Associated Press
