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Gators Fall Just Short Of World Series Finals

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By JEFF LATZKE

The Associated Press

Published: June 2, 2008

OKLAHOMA CITY - Megan Gibson (41-2) threw a seven-hitter and Kelsey Spittler squeezed a line-drive triple just inside the right-field line to send Texas A&M past top-seeded Florida 1-0 in nine innings and into the Women's College World Series finals.

Texas A&M will play Arizona State for the championship in a best two-out-of-three series beginning tonight.

Jackie Vasquez hit a three-run homer after slugger Kaitlin Cochran was hit with a pitch, leading the Sun Devils to a 3-1 win against Alabama and their first chance to play for the national championship.

The Gators (70-5) had won three straight elimination games, including a 6-1 victory against Texas A&M earlier Sunday, to force a rematch.

Macie Morrow grounded a two-out single through the right side off NCAA wins leader Stacey Nelson (46-5) to set the stage for Spittler's first career triple, which bounded past Mary Ratliff in the right-field corner.

"Kelsey Spittler and Macie Morrow were 0-for-the-World Series and you know what? They don't remember any of those other at-bats that they didn't get a hit," Texas A&M coach Jo Evans said. "They remember that they stepped up there and did a job for us and gave us a chance to play for a national championship."

Spittler had been 0-for-10 in the Series and Morrow was 1-for-10 before the last two hitters in A&M's lineup came through in the clutch.

After back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the ninth, Gibson got Ratliff to ground into a double play and Megan Bush to pop out to end the game.

Gibson also pitched around three straight one-out singles in the sixth inning, escaping from the jam by getting Francesca Enea to ground into a force play and Ali Gardiner to fly out to left field.

Jami Lobpries had a diving catch of Kristine Priebe's floater to shallow center to start the inning.

"Megan Gibson was vintage Gibson. She is so tough out there and she just willed this to happen," Evans said. "When we couldn't put runs across - we set the table several times and couldn't get a big hit - she was the one that hung in out there and gave us a chance. She gave us a chance to find a way to score a run."

Florida, which got two home runs from Enea in Game 1 against the Aggies to stay alive, finished the season with three more wins than any other school in NCAA history.

"It's tough to lose but I don't know that any team has or ever will go 70-5," Gators coach Tim Walton said. "It's just unbelievable."

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