James Madison University Athletics
James Madison University softball is no slouch. The Dukes have made eight-straight NCAA tournaments and reached a Super Regional in 2016 and 2019. However, until this year, they had not reached the Women’s College World Series.
Despite the team’s one-loss record in the regular season, JMU was not selected as one of the top-16 seeds for the post season. As a result, the school did not host a regional and traveled to Knoxville, Tenn. to face No. 9 Tennessee, Liberty and Eastern Kentucky. The Dukes went 3-0 to sweep the Regional and advanced to play No. 8 Missouri in the three-game Super Regional series.
Friday saw a 2-1 win and Saturday saw a 1-7 loss, setting up an all-important Game 3 with a WCWS birth on the line. James Madison flipped the script on Sunday with a 7-2 win to clinch the program’s first-ever WCWS appearance on the road.
Did we just…
…yeah, we did.#GoDukes | #RoadToWCWS pic.twitter.com/GUECwflaEO
— JMU Softball (@JMUSoftball) May 30, 2021
WCWS History!
Of the seven other teams in the field, all but JMU had made an appearance in Oklahoma City. As the lowest-ranked team, the Dukes were tasked with top-seeded Oklahoma to begin their first chance at a national championship in front of a full crowd.
USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium is rockin' ๐#WCWS pic.twitter.com/epT14UlwhJ
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
It was a tough draw and it started out in favor of the Sooners with great defense.
Starting off hot! ๐ฅ @_tiarejennings #WCWS x ๐ฅ @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/MU4hDMWoKt
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
All ๐ out ๐ effort ๐ @taylonsnoww
๐บ @espn#WCWS x @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/W3kRVGHAoU
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
And then the momentum shifted. James Madison opened the scoring with a three-run BOMB.
SARA. JUBAS. ๐ฑ
๐บ @espn#WCWS x @JMUSoftball pic.twitter.com/cD5K8nchPI
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
The lead didn’t last long, as Oklahoma answered with a three-run shot of its own.
NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR! ๐ฅ @_tiarejennings
๐บ @espn#WCWS x @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/bhJ1Fo8BWm
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
And then things got tense. Both teams were doing everything they could to keep runners off of the base path.
That Dukes defense tho! ๐คฉ#WCWS x ๐ฅ @JMUSoftball pic.twitter.com/hYqLxkZClP
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
Don't run on @kinziehansen! ๐#WCWS x ๐ฅ @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/QDjqNItzjy
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
Tied at 3 through seven innings, it would take extra innings to decide a winner. Kate Gordon, who struggled throughout the postseason, got hot at the right time and gave her team the lead.
Kate Gordon gives the Dukes the lead in the 8th! ๐ฃ
๐บ @espn#WCWS x @JMUSoftball pic.twitter.com/6VJxAjJLdi
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
From there, it was all Odicci Alexander in the circle. She carried a 1.28 ERA all season and retired the last three Sooner hitters to give James Madison its first-ever Women’s College World Series win in its first-ever WCWS game.
UNSEEDED JAMES MADISON UPSETS NO. 1 OKLAHOMA IN THE SCHOOLโS FIRST-EVER #WCWS APPEARANCE! ๐คฏ pic.twitter.com/DXV3fA9eNq
— BroBible (@BroBible) June 3, 2021
"That was passion."@2seas__ shares how @JMUSoftball was able to upset (1) Oklahoma and collect its first-ever #WCWS win. pic.twitter.com/fg4NG4kV9k
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 3, 2021
JMU will face the winner of No. 5-seed Oklahoma State and fellow unseeded opponent Georgia in the winner’s bracket.