Roughly 90 minutes had passed since a controversial, game-tying home run sent Tennessee softball’s Women’s College World Series elimination game against UCLA into extra innings Sunday. But as she sat down for her post-game news conference after her team’s win, Lady Vols coach Karen Weekly wasn’t any less bothered by what had occurred.

Weekly teed off on the umpiring and replay review crews after No. 7 Tennessee’s 5-4 victory against No. 9 UCLA in nine innings, noting that she believed the incorrect call had been made on a two-run homer from Bruins slugger Megan Grant, who didn’t touch home plate as she completed her trot around the bases.

“I think everybody but four people saw the play at the plate,” Weekly said. “We saw in the dugout she had missed the plate and we saw her teammates had kind of pushed her back. By rule, that should have been nullified. … We went to the umpire and said, ‘This is what happened.’ Then they did their thing.”

After Grant had initially stepped over home plate, one player in her mob of teammates who greeted her, Alexis Ramirez, grabbed her and moved her in the direction of the plate to make sure she touched it.

After a 20-minute video review, it was determined that, while Grant did not touch the plate and had been assisted, it was not reviewable according to Appendix G of the NCAA Softball Rule Book.

When asked later during her news conference about what her team did to occupy itself during the review, Weekly sarcastically referred to it as “that lengthy review-not review.”

The victory the Lady Vols would have gotten had the call gone the other way was ultimately delayed, not denied. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tennessee native Laura Mealer roped a single to left field to bring home the game-winning run.

With the win, Tennessee has advanced to the WCWS semifinals on June 2, where it will play No. 6 Texas. The Lady Vols, who already have a loss in the double-elimination tournament, will need to beat the Longhorns twice in order to make it to the WCWS championship series.

George Springer played a vital role in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-4 win over the Athletics on Sunday. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run in the victory. However, he might have also made the most embarrassing out of his career.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Blue Jays were down 3-0. After Myles Straw singled to start the inning, the A’s got two quick outs, putting the Blue Jays on their heels. Luckily for the Canadians, their next hitter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was hit by a pitch, pushing Straw into scoring position, who would promptly be driven in by Springer on a single to left. The offense continued with Alejandro Kirk, who doubled, driving in Guerrero and pushing Springer to third.

Sure, there were two outs, but the Blue Jays were only down a run now with two men in scoring position. Surely, another hit would lift Toronto over the Athletics, right? Well, the Blue Jays never got that chance.

No. After the double put Springer at third base, the former World Series champion decided that it was a great time for calisthenics, as he jumped up and down on the bag, allowing Athletics third baseman Max Schuemann to tag him out mid-leap.

Springer was originally called safe, but video review was clear as day. The ball was on Springer and Springer was not on the bag. Toronto’s rally was dead in the water.

How did Springer do the rest of the game?

Springer only had two more plate appearances in the game, both of which came in the Blue Jays’ six-run eighth inning. In a sense, Springer was the reason that inning got going. He led off the eighth by reaching base via catcher interference and scored soon after on an Addison Barger home run. He did also ground out to end the inning though.

Springer ended the game going 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Who won the series?

Toronto’s 8-4 win gave them the four-game series sweep against the Athletics, pushing their record to 31-28. The Blue Jays currently sit in second place in the AL East behind the first-place New York Yankees.

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LOS ANGELES — Eric Anthony was always curious, but never obsessed, to learn the family secret.

He grew up asking his mother about the identity of his biological father, but always received vague answers, saying it was a man who was briefly stationed at a San Diego Naval base.

It didn’t really matter. Anthony was surrounded by love in the family with three brothers, food on the table, clothes in the closet and a ballfield nearby.

He was a star baseball player growing up in San Diego, drafted in 1986 by the Houston Astros, making his major-league debut three years later, and spending nine years in the big leagues. He lead the Astros with 19 homers and finished second with 80 RBIs in 1992 on a star-studded team that featured Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, along with Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley and Luis Gonzalez.

It wasn’t until eight years ago – Oct. 10, 2017 to be exact – that his oldest daughter, Erica, asked him if he would do a genealogy test.

“She goes, ‘Dad, I’ve been watching some of these Ancestry DNA commercials,” Anthony tells USA TODAY Sports. “She’s always been curious who was on both sides of the family. …

“I spit in the bottle, sent out the DNA, and when it came back, I started getting all of these Davis’ showing up in my profile. I had to investigate.’

He made a series of calls and wound up contacting a woman that showed up as one of the Davis relatives in Phoenix named Martha Burt Sells. He identified himself, and they figured out together they were cousins. Anthony explained his background and sent pictures of him in his baseball uniform where he played for Astros, Mariners, Reds, Rockies and Dodgers – when Sells stopped him cold.

“Oh, so you’re the second-most famous baseball player in our family,’ said Sells, who discovered two years earlier in a DNA test that her biological father and Davis’ mother were brother and sister.

“Who’s the first?’ Anthony said.

“Well, my first cousin,’ Sells said.

“Willie Davis.’

Yes, that Willie Davis.

“My wife Googled him,’’ Anthony said, “and then she started screaming, ‘Oh my God, that’s your father!”

Yes, the two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He still holds Dodgers franchise records since their move to Los Angeles for hits and triples. His 31-game hitting streak still remains the all-time Dodgers record.

“I grew up loving Wally Moon and Duke Snider, and then Willie Davis came along,’ said Dodgers All-Star outfielder Rick Monday, who grew up in Santa Monica and became the first player selected in the history of the MLB draft in 1965. “Being a center fielder, I watched Willie really close because I was in awe of the way he ran after a ball and the way he ran the bases. His strides, he was like an antelope. He just devoured ground with every long stride that he took.’

Said Dusty Baker, who grew up in Riverside and won a World Series with the 1981 Dodgers: “We all wanted to be Willie Davis. He ran like a gazelle the way he would fly around the bases. We all tried to imitate him. We thought he was the coolest dude ever.’

Oh, could Davis run. He twice led the National League in triples. He stole 398 career bases, including 42 in 1964, and stole three bases in one game during the 1965 World Series. He was nicknamed “3-Dog’ with his blazing speed.

“He was such an important part of Dodger history,’ said former Dodgers GM Fred Claire, who spoke at Davis’ memorial service in 2010. “He was so full of life, with such high energy and so extremely talented. Nothing was too big for him. There was no intimidation. Great speed. A very good arm. No one ran from first to third like Willie. Three steps between bags. What an athlete.’

Learning the truth

Anthony, now 57, couldn’t believe it. Everyone always wanted to know where he got his athleticism. Why did he gravitate towards baseball and not another sport? Why did everything seem so natural to him as a left-handed hitter?

And, of course, why didn’t his mother ever tell him the truth?

“She could never give me a detailed answer,’ Anthony said. “You don’t want to disrespect your parents. Just one of those things I kept inside. I thought maybe one day I’d find out.

“And I did.’

Anthony confronted his mom, Jo Carole Ighner-Phillips, who died at the age of 82 in February, and she confirmed his dad indeed was Davis. She certainly didn’t mean any harm in keeping the secret. She was a proud woman. She wasn’t looking for a handout from a baseball star. She was just fine raising four boys by herself.

“I wasn’t angry with my mother or was I angry with Willie,’ said Anthony, who retired from baseball in 2001, after also playing in Japan and Mexico. “I think my mother was protecting all of us from any scandal and did the best thing for all parties involved. She was protecting me. And she was protecting Willie.’

Anthony’s oldest brother, Michael Phillips, 66, knows that while Eric is now at peace, he can’t hide the desire to have known when Davis was still alive.

“My Mom was private as Eric, but she wanted to keep it away from everyone,’ Phillips said. “She was devastated that Eric found out the way he did. There was some tension there. It took a few weeks.

“I can’t imagine it happening to me. Willie Davis being your actual father, that’s a little bit of a shocker.’

Anthony discovered that few people ever knew the identity of his father. No one knew on the Davis side. So, he started making calls. He introduced himself to family members he didn’t know existed. He soon discovered he had two new half-sisters and a half-brother.

“It was really strange, and just never connected the dots,’ said Thomas Davis, 87, Willie’s oldest brother, who still lives in Los Angeles and struggles with his brother’s death. “When we talked, I believed Eric. If someone was that interested in reaching out, and going through all that trouble, why wouldn’t I believe him?

“I just had no idea. I really wish we had known him growing up.’

Anthony, who lives in Houston with his wife, Robin and is now a proud grandparent, met Thomas Davis and three cousins in a Mexican restaurant in Irvine, California. They shared pictures and gasped at the resemblance. He couldn’t believe how warmly he was embraced.

“My uncle grabbed me and hugged me,’ Anthony said, “and said, ‘You’re giving me a piece of my little brother back.’

“Of course, it was a shock to that side of the family at first since Willie was married. I was a love child. But now, it’s like one big family.’

The families started reminiscing, and Anthony was reminded by his brother that Davis actually was at their house. In those days, everyone in the neighborhood were San Diego Padres fans, and when Davis was traded before the 1976 season to the Padres, he became a household name.

“I remember there was this beautiful blue Corvette parked outside our apartment one afternoon,’ Phillips said, “and a kid runs up to me and says, ‘Why is Willie Davis at your house?’ I ran upstairs, and there he was sitting on the couch.

“I didn’t even put two and two together until later. I started playing everything back in my head. ‘Oh my God, that’s why he was at the house.’

Said Anthony: “So, it looks like I did meet him twice. That day, and when my Mom took me to watch the Dodgers play the Padres when I was two years old.’

Turning point

Anthony has since tried to learn as much about Davis as possible, collecting old photographs, jerseys, hats, magazine covers, everything relating to his dad. He has a small shrine to Davis at his Houston home.

“When Eric reached and told me about the connection,’ Claire said, “I wanted to put Eric in touch with players that knew Willie. I reached out to Tommy Davis, Maury [Wills] and others. I wanted to give him the opportunity to know as much as he could about his dad. I sent him pictures I had of Willie.

“He was quite fascinated by it.’

Anthony began sharing his discovery with Baker and Bill Russell, his former Dodgers manager who also played with Davis. He remembers the day he telephoned his close friend, actor Kenny Medlock, whom he met in 1992, to share his discovery. Medlock played nine years in the minor leagues before going Hollywood, appearing in 55 movies including “Moneyball.’ It was Medlock who telephoned Dodgers hitting coach Reggie Smith one day to recommend Anthony.

“You talk about going full circle,’ Medlock said. “I met Willie Davis, got him into a bunch of movies, meet Eric, get Eric a job with the Dodgers, and then find out that Willie is his biological dad.

“When Eric told me that was his father, it was just such a bombshell. I mean, this guy was special. He heard a different drummer drumming. He was not somebody you could control. He would have probably been a hippy if he wasn’t a baseball player.’

Anthony, who started his own technology company, relishes hearing from his father’s old friends and acquaintances. He loves hearing the stories, especially from Davis’ brother, Thomas. Thomas told him that Willie’s first love was basketball, but it was Dodgers scout Kenny Myers who saw his blazing speed as a track-and-field star, and was the one converted him into a left-handed-hitting outfielder, just like Anthony.

“Eric is a very quiet guy, he doesn’t say much,’ Phillips said, “but I think Eric finding out about his father is a turning moment in his life. It’s important just for Eric to understand what happened. He’s still in a fog, but in a euphoric way. This will help bring some closure and some openings too.’

Securing his father’s legacy

Now that Anthony knows that Davis is his father, he would love to honor his legacy by correcting a wrong.

Strangely, Davis has never appeared on a single Hall of Fame ballot. Not on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. Not on a veterans committee ballot.

Davis, who accumulated 2,561 hits and stole 384 bases to go along with his three Gold Glove awards, has the highest career WAR (60.7) never to appear on a Hall of Fame ballot.

The 1985 BBWAA ballot included 41 players – with Lou Brock and Catfish Hunter each elected in their first year of eligibility – but Davis never appeared, despite his 2,561 hits, 398 stolen bases and 182 home runs. He is one of only 10 players in baseball history who has achieved those numbers, and seven are in the Hall of Fame.

“Willie has not been given the respect he deserves in his career,’ Anthony said. “Look what he has done. He ranks first in all-time hits in [Los Angeles] Dodgers’ history. He helped them win two World Series titles. It’s just baffling to me that he never appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot.’

The biggest hindrance to Davis’ candidacy is in his first year of eligibility in 1985, 11 players who had been previously dropped off the ballot were reinstated by a special committee that year. They added Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Clay Carroll, Ron Fairly, Curt Flood, Harvey Haddix, Denny McLain, Dave McNally, Vada Pinson, Ron Santo and Wilbur Wood, dramatically reducing the first-year eligible players.

“I mean, at the very least,’ Anthony said, “he should have his number retired by the Dodgers. Nobody should be wearing No. 3 again.’’

The last Dodger to wear No. 3 is Chris Taylor, who was just released last week.

Anthony can’t help but wonder, too, if his baseball career might have been different if he had known Davis was his father. What if Davis had reached out and accepted him as his son while he was growing up. They lived only 100 miles away from one another with Davis in Los Angeles and Anthony in San Diego, later playing for the same team 24 years apart.

Just how cool would it have been to have father-son pictures at Dodger Stadium?

“I often think about that, having my father in my life,’ Anthony said. “This guy was a major-league legend, no way around it. To have a conversation with him, asking him certain questions, to have that knowledge and experience, I’m sure it would have improved my career.

“I wish I would have had my dad around, but you can’t be stuck in life with what-ifs. I have a new brother, two sisters, and a host of uncles and aunts.

“My life is complete. It’s like being on a deserted island all of these years, and then somebody found you.

“I know who I am now.’

Around the basepaths

– The Pittsburgh Pirates are flatly rebuking all interest from teams wanting to engage in trade talks for ace Paul Skenes, but will listen to offers on every other player but him and outfielder Oneil Cruz.

Two intriguing players are third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and outfielder Bryan Reynolds. They were each expected to become cornerstone pieces of the franchise and both have struggled, with the Pirates expected to put them on the market at the trade deadline. Reynolds is in the third year of an eight-year, $106.75 million deal, the largest in club history. Hayes is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $70 million extension.

– The Miami Marlins’ plan to enhance ace Sandy Alcantara’s trade value by hanging onto him until the deadline has backfired – at least in the early-going.

Alcantara, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery, is yielding a hideous 8.47 ERA, allowing the most earned runs of any pitcher in baseball.

– It looks like the ABS challenge system will be on hold for another year after feedback MLB received from players this spring. It will likely be implemented for 2027.

– The Arizona Diamondbacks are resisting any urge to make a rash move and dismiss manager Torey Lovullo, who suddenly is drawing the ire of their fanbase with their recent struggles. They dropped to 27-30 after losing eight of their last nine games entering Saturday.

‘These are very challenging times, I’m not going to lie,’ Lovullo said. “We’re in a huge grind, every one of us. We’re a really good baseball team, and we should not be three games under .500.’

The Diamondbacks’ pitching and sloppy defense have been the culprits. They scored six or more runs 23 times this season, but have lost a major-league leading 10 of those games, including three games in which they’ve scored 11 runs.

– Phillies All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper echoed the Phillies’ front-office sentiments when he told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he can’t imagine Kyle Schwarber not coming back to Philadelphia as a free agent this winter.

“I don’t see him playing anywhere else,” Harper said. “Obviously I don’t make those decisions. But as a team leader and a captain and everything else, he brings so much value to our team.’

Schwarber, signed to a four-year, $79 million contract before the 2022 season, has hit 149 home runs, third behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in that time.

“He’s just learned such a good way of bringing a team together,’ Harper said. “He does such a great job of that.”

– The Dodgers are scouring the market these days for a left-handed hitting bat off the bench.

– The Cincinnati Reds’ patience with former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz evaporated when they sent him to the Dodgers this past week for minor-league pitcher Mike Villani, with the Dodgers picking up the remaining $3 million in Diaz’s contract this year. The Reds became exasperated with Diaz, and he was showing no signs of getting back to his All-Star form at Class AAA Louisville.

“I felt it was the best thing for everybody involved just to have a change of scenery,’ Nick Krall, Reds president of baseball operations, told reporters.

The Dodgers, who will work with Diaz at their minor-league camp in Arizona, have suddenly become desperate for bullpen help. Former closer Evan Phillips is undergoing Tommy John surgery this week, and they still are without Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol.

The Dodgers shelled out a four-year, $72 million contract for closer Tanner Scott last winter, but he has struggled, blowing five saves with a 4.62 ERA. He had only six blown saves the past two seasons combined with Miami and San Diego.

“I think, performance-wise, he hasn’t performed the way any of us expected, him included,” manager Dave Roberts said.

– Scouts already are keeping an eye on Boston Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman, who will be a hot commodity at the trade deadline if the Red Sox fall out of the AL East race.

– Cool moment at the Yankees-Dodgers epic weekend series when Yankees manager Aaron Boone spotted Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, pulled a cell phone from the back pocket of his uniform, and snapped a selfie.

“Hey, he’s a legend,’ Boone said.

– Pirates manager Don Kelly is drawing rave reviews from his players, and is showing why the Boston Red Sox nearly hired him after the 2020 season. He was one of three finalists with Alex Cora and Sam Fuld. Kelly has since turned down several job interviews, including the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and New York Mets, to remain in Pittsburgh with his family before being promoted.

– Toronto Blue Jays slugger Anthony Santander has looked nothing like the man they signed to a five-year, $92.5 million contract during the winter. He’s now on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation after hitting just .179 with six homers and striking out a career-high 26.3% of the time. He looks like a shadow of himself after hitting 44 homers a year ago for Baltimore.

– The Houston Astros and Billy Wagner are taking no shortcuts celebrating his Hall of Fame induction ceremony this summer with friends and family.

They have sent out invitations for Wagner’s closest friends and family for two seats on the Astros’ team charter to Cooperstown, including a hotel room and ground transportation for the weekend to be at Wagner’s celebratory party.

– Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo openly roots for Paul Skenes in every game he doesn’t pitch against him, forming a relationship at last year’s All-Star game when he made Skenes the starting pitcher after just 11 starts.

“I spent a little bit of personal time with him, and I don’t think a lot of people get to do that that aren’t inside of his organization or his circle,’ Lovullo says. “I will always treasure those times. Special kid, great for the game.

‘When we’re not facing him, I am a fan.”

– Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who broke his toe walking to the bathroom at his home last Wednesday night, is expected to return to the lineup this week. There has been no temptation to move him back to right field as the Dodgers did a year ago.

“He’s a major league shortstop, on a championship club …’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “He looks like a major league shortstop right now, where last year there were many times I didn’t feel that way.”

– Classic response by Atlanta ace Spencer Strider when Hall of Fame writer Jayson Stark asked him about pitching in Philadelphia’s raucous environment.

“I love pitching here,” Strider said. “I mean, where else do they chant your name and ask you how your family’s doing? They seem very interested in my well-being, and I appreciate that.’

– So much for that feel-good Tim Anderson comeback story. He was released last week by the Angels after an ugly slash line of .205/.258/.241 in 90 plate appearances. This is the second time the former batting champion has been released in the last nine months.

– Just in case Mets owner Steve Cohen didn’t have a big enough checking account, his hopes for an $8 billion casino next to Citi Field moved ever so close after a bill in the state Senate approved the project, now needing only Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

– Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners is resurrecting memories of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza. Raleigh, who already has the most homers by a catcher through the first four seasons of their career, is now having an MVP season in the non-Aaron Judge division. He already has 21 homers, the most by a catcher before June in history. He’s on pace for 57 home runs this season, which would shatter Salvador Perez’s record of 48 homers in 2021 with the Royals.

– Remember when the Boston Red Sox gave second baseman Kristian Campbell an eight-year, $60 million deal and looked like geniuses when he hit .301 with four homers and an .902 OPS through April? Well, he has crashed down to earth in May, hitting .137 with just one extra base hit and a .368 OPS.

– The Houston Astros say they are on the lookout for starting pitching after losing Ronel Blanco. He is the third Astros’ starter to go down in the season’s first two months, joining Hayden Wesneski who underwent Tommy John surgery last week, and Spencer Arrighetti (broken thumb).

– Rough week for Marlins second baseman Ronny Simon. He committed three errors in three innings, ran off the field in tears while teammates and coaches tried to console him, and then was designated for assignment two days later.

– The Yankees plan for Jazz Chisholm to return to third base when he returns from the IL with DJ LeMahieu playing second.

– Phillies ace Zack Wheeler can blame Atlanta if he’s not in the Cy Young debate at the end of the season.

He as a 9.28 ERA in two starts against Atlanta this year and a 1.93 ERA in his 10 starts against everyone else.

– What’s it like being Shohei Ohtani’s teammate?

“You don’t want to miss any of his at-bats,” new Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto said. “You want to be in the dugout. You want to see it in person. That’s kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.”

– Congratulations to Atlanta’s Chris Sale who recorded his 2,500th strikeout faster than any pitcher in history, accomplishing the feat in 2,206 innings, eclipsing Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who achieved the milestone in 2,107 innings.

Sale idolized Johnson growing up, and still cherishes the text message he received from Johnson last winter when he won the Cy Young award.

– The Colorado Rockies, if you can believe it, are now on pace to go 26-136.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This story was updated to correct typos.

Major League Soccer players want more money for participating in the FIFA Club World Cup later this month, but say they have received pushback from the league in their efforts. 

Three MLS clubs — Seattle, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC — will represent the league in the tournament, which begins June 14 and will be hosted in the United States. 

FIFA’s Club World Cup boasts a $1 billion prize pool — $475 million disbursed based on performance, and $525 million given to participating teams. The winner will take home at least $125 million. The MLS teams will make at least $9.5 million just for participating, while wins during each stage of the tournament will only drive up the possible earnings.

However, MLS players earn 50 percent of money earned from outside tournaments — capped at $1 million, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement. 

The MLS Players Association released a statement shortly after the Sounders players display.

“The MLSPA and all MLS players stand united with the Seattle Sounders players who tonight demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money,” the statement read. 

“FIFA’s new tournament piles on to players’ ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation. As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented financial windfall.

“Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.

“For months, the players have privately and respectfully invited the league to discuss bonus terms, yet MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal. Instead of recognizing the players who have brought MLS to the global stage, the league – which routinely asks the (player association) to deviate from the (collective bargaining agreement) – is clinging to an out-of-date CBA provision and ignoring longstanding international standards on what players typically receive from FIFA prize money in global competitions.

“It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage. They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.”

Messi and Inter Miami will play in the Club World Cup opener against Egyptian club Al Alhy on June 14 in Miami. Inter Miami will also play FC Porto (Portugal) on June 19 in Atlanta, and SE Palmeiras (Brazil) on June 23 in the group stage.

The Sounders will play all three of their group stage matches at home in Lumen Field in Seattle. They’ll face Botafogo (Brazil) on June 15, Atletico Madrid (Spain) on June 19, then Paris Saint-Germain (France) on June 23.

LAFC became the last team to enter the Club World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 win against Liga MX standouts Club America on Saturday night. They will face Chelsea (England) in Atlanta on June 16, Espérance (Tunisia) in Nashville on June 20 and CR Flamengo (Brazil) in Orlando on June 24 during the group stage.

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Oklahoma softball began the weekend well-positioned to win its fifth consecutive national championship. By the end of it, the Sooners were working to avoid elimination.

They managed to do just that.

One day after falling to archrival Texas 4-2, No. 2 seed Oklahoma rode two home runs from senior Cydney Sanders to a 4-1 victory against No. 16 seed Oregon in a June 1 elimination game at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

With the win, coach Patty Gasso’s team moves on to the WCWS semifinals, where it will take on NiJaree Canady and No. 12 Texas Tech on June 2. The Sooners will need to beat the Red Raiders twice to advance to the WCWS championship series.

Oregon, which suffered a walk-off loss to UCLA in its WCWS opener on Thursday, saw its season end with its second loss in the double-elimination tournament.

Oklahoma ace Sam Landry entered the game in the third inning and gave up just two hits and no earned runs over 4 1/3 innings while striking out six batters. In the semifinals, Landry will meet up with her coach the previous three seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, Gerry Glasco, who is in his first season at Texas Tech.

Sanders’ first homer of the night, a two-run shot in the third inning off Oregon’s Lyndsey Grein, broke a 1-1 deadlock in the bottom of the third inning and gave Oklahoma a lead it wouldn’t squander for the rest of the night.

Dezianna Patmon provided the Ducks’ lone run of the night with a solo home run to center field in the top of the second inning that gave her team what would be a short-lived lead.

The June 1 game was a reunion of sorts as Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi played for Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso with the Sooners and went on to serve as an assistant coach under Gasso for 21 years, from 1997-2018, before becoming the Ducks’ head coach.

Here’s a look at the score, updates and highlights from Oklahoma softball’s win against Oregon in an elimination game at the 2025 WCWS:

Oklahoma vs Oregon softball live score

This section will be updated throughout the game

Oklahoma vs Oregon softball live updates

Final: Oklahoma 4, Oregon 1

The four-time reigning national champions live to fight another day.

A one-two-three inning from Sam Landry closes out Oregon and gives Oklahoma a 4-1 victory in the teams’ elimination game on June 1. The Sooners are off to the WCWS semifinals, where they’ll take on NiJaree Canady and Texas Tech, while the Ducks see their season end.

Three up, three down for Oklahoma

The Sooners don’t build on their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, but carry a 4-1 advantage into the top of the seventh inning. With three more outs, coach Patty Gasso’s team will avoid elimination and head to the WCWS semifinals.

Oregon strands one on base in sixth inning

The Ducks are down to their final three outs.

With Paige Sinicki on second base, Dezianna Patmon strikes out swinging on a nasty pitch from Oklahoma’s Sam Landry to end the top of the sixth inning. Sooners holding on to a 4-1 lead.

Cydney Sanders belts second home run to extend Oklahoma’s lead

For the second time today, Cydney Sanders has gone yard.

The Oklahoma senior gets ahold of a Lyndsey Grein pitch and sends it 260 feet over the left field wall to push the Sooners’ lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

It’s Sanders’ second homer of the day and second off Grein, with her first coming on a two-run shot in the third inning. Sanders entered the day with 11 home runs this season.

Oregon posts another scoreless inning

Oregon is running out of chances to get back in the game, going down in order in the top of the fifth inning, with a foul ball flyout and a pair of groundouts.

Oklahoma goes down in order

After scoring three runs over the previous two innings, Oklahoma is shut out in the bottom of the fourth, going three up and three down. Sooners head into the fifth inning with a 3-1 lead.

Oregon’s Stefini Ma’ake nearly evens score

With one on and two out, Oregon’s Stefini Ma’ake launches a fly ball to center field. It’s just short of a home run, however, and Oklahoma gets out of the inning.

Abigale Dayton takes hit to head, immediately pops up

Oregon’s Grein hits Abigale Dayton in her helmet, but the latter immediately pops up and takes base with a smile. The Sooners have two on but can’t get any other runs across after Kasidi Pickering fouls out to end the inning. Grein has already thrown 39 pitches in just an inning of work.

Cydney Sanders launches two-run homer

Sanders took advantage after Grein left a ball hanging over the plate. There was no doubt on that one as she launched it clear of Devon Park for her 57th career home run. Sooners now lead 3-1 with just one out against the Ducks in the bottom of the third.

Oregon makes pitching change, putting in Lyndsey Grein

Oregon joins Oklahoma in making a pitching change in the third inning, turning the ball over to its ace, Lyndsey Grein. She replaces Elise Sokolsky, who gave up five hits and one earned run in two innings.

Oregon leaves two on base in third inning

A long, eventful top of the third inning comes to an end with no runs on the board for Oregon.

Oregon had runners on first and second with no outs, but what looked like a potential bloop single from Ducks hitter Kedre Luschar was snagged by Gabbie Garcia, who immediately rifled it back to second base to get Regan Legg out for a double play.

Oregon challenged the call, believing the Sooners second baseman Ailana Agbayani’s foot was off the base when Legg dove to get back and avoid the out, but the ruling was upheld upon review.

The Ducks later got back to having runners on first and second, but the recently inserted Sam Landry struck out Paige Sinicki swinging to end the threat.

Oklahoma makes pitching change, puts in Sam Landry

In the top of the third inning, Oklahoma takes out starter Kierston Deal and inserts ace Sam Landry, who pitched in the Sooners’ loss Saturday to Texas.

Isabela Emerling home run ties it for Oklahoma

The Sooners’ deficit only lasted for so long.

With her team down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Isabela Emerling hit a solo home run to left field off of Oregon’s Elise Sokolsky to tie the game. It was Emerling’s 12th home run this season and Oklahoma’s 118th as a team.

Coach Patty Gasso’s team very nearly did more damage, with runners on first and third, but Sokolsky struck out Sydney Barker looking to end the inning.

Dez Patmon solo home run to give Oregon 1-0 lead

And it’s the Ducks who are on the board first after Dez Patmon launches a two-out home run to center field. The four-time defending national champion Sooners are down early, 1-0, in the second inning.

1st inning: Oklahoma 0, Oregon 0

Oklahoma strands three runners on base but can’t get a run across after Cydney Sanders flies out to center field to end the inning.

Kierston Deal retires three Oregon batters

It’s three up, three down for Oregon, as Kierston Deal gets Kai Luschar to strike out swinging, Kedre Luschar to pop out to center field and Rylee McCoy to pop out to right field.

Oklahoma-Oregon moved to 7:12 p.m. first pitch

Oklahoma and Oregon’s elimination game somehow only moved back 12 minutes after a nine-inning game between Tennessee and UCLA in the first game of the day. First pitch is scheduled for 7:12 p.m. ET.

What time does Oklahoma vs Oregon softball start?

Date: Sunday, June 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

First pitch for Oklahoma and Oregon’s softball game in the 2025 Women’s College World Series is set for 7 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

Watch Oklahoma vs Oregon softball in the WCWS live with ESPN+

What TV channel is Oklahoma vs Oregon softball on today?

TV channel: ESPN2
Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+

Sunday’s WCWS elimination game between Oklahoma and Oregon will air on ESPN2. Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call while Taylor McGregor will serve as the sideline reporter.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+ the latter of which serves as ESPN’s subscription streaming service.

Oklahoma vs Oregon softball predictions, picks, odds

Odds are courtesy of BetMGM

Moneyline: Oklahoma (-350) | Oregon (+250)

Prediction: Oklahoma 7, Oregon 3

The Ducks have the benefit of an extra day of rest, but it won’t be enough to power them past a Sooners team with more talent and more experience on the game’s biggest stage.

Oklahoma softball schedule 2025

Here are Oklahoma’s past five results. To see the Sooners’ full 2025 schedule, click here.

Sunday, May 18: Oklahoma 12, Cal 1 (5 innings)
Friday, May 23: Oklahoma 3, No. 15 Alabama 0
Saturday, May 24: Oklahoma 13, No. 15 Alabama 2 (5 innings)
Thursday, May 29: Oklahoma 4, No. 7 Tennessee 3
Saturday, May 31: No. 6 Texas 4, Oklahoma 2

Oregon softball schedule 2025

Here are Oregon’s past five results. To see the Duck’ full 2025 schedule, click here.

Sunday, May 18: Oregon 10, No. 16 Stanford 7
Friday, May 23: Oregon 3, Liberty 2 (8 innings)
Saturday, May 24: Oregon 13, Liberty 1
Thursday, May 29: No. 9 UCLA 4, Oregon 2
Friday, May 30: Oregon 6, Ole Miss 5 (10 innings)

WCWS schedule

Women’s College World Series: May 29-June 5/6
WCWS finals: June 4-5/6

The Women’s College World Series began May 29 and will run through either June 5 or June 6. The WCWS three-game championship series will begin on June 4 and end on June 5 or 6, depending on whether the series concludes in two or three games.

Ryan Blaney took control of the race with a pass for the lead on the restart with 116 laps to go, then drove to his first victory of the NASCAR Cup Series season in the Cracker Barrel 400 on June 1 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Blaney won Stage 2 but dropped behind Joey Logano after pit stops at the stage break. Blaney then drove by Logano on a restart on Lap 199 and held the top spot for the majority of the final 100 laps.

The final pit cycle completed under green, with Blaney holding a sizeable lead over second-place Carson Hocevar and third-place Denny Hamlin.

Hocevar finished in second for the second time this season, tying his career-best finish in the Cup Series.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville:

NASCAR Nashville winners and losers:

Winner: Carson Hocevar

Hocevar is a future star in the sport, and always a part of the story. Sunday’s race had the best and worst of Hocevar, all in 300 laps.

In Stage 2, Hocevar drove hard into turn 3 and bumped Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending the No. 47 Chevrolet spinning and into the wall. Stenhouse did not finish, credited with 39th, then told Amazon in an interview that retribution could be coming.

But Hocevar finished the second stage in the top 10, then worked the strategy late to end up second after the final pit cycle completed with about 30 laps to go.

Hocevar couldn’t cut into Blaney’s lead at the end, but was able to hold off Hamlin to finish second. It ties a runner-up finish at Atlanta earlier this season as his career-best in the Cup Series.

Winner: Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace needed a good finish badly, but probably did not think he would get one early in the race.

Wallace was penalized for speeding on the first stop of the race, on Lap 44. He lost a lap, and wasn’t able to get it back at the stage end.

Wallace did get the free pass on Lap 104 as a group of cautions helped the bottom of the running order, then steadily climbed the leaderboard.

The No. 23 Toyota entered the top 10 early in the final stage, and Wallace drove up into sixth on the final run.

Wallace entered Nashville with three straight DNFs, dropping out of the top 10 in points. Sunday’s result should help Wallace and his 23XI Racing team reset positively as the second half of the regular season begins this month.

Loser: Alex Bowman

Alex Bowman’s stretch of poor finishes continued on Sunday in Nashville after wrecking alongside Noah Gragson early in Stage 2.

Bowman’s 36th-place finish is his fifth finish of 29th or worse in the last seven races, and it puts into question his playoff status with 12 regular-season races left.

To give context on Bowman’s struggles: He finished second at Homestead and was third in points through six races. After Nashville, Bowman is in 12th in points.

Loser: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse was on the receiving end of Hocevar’s too-aggressive bumping on Lap 106. (That incident comes up a couple times, doesn’t it?)

The No. 47 Chevrolet was a model of consistency throughout the first 13 races, coming into Nashville at 13th in points despite just two top-10 finishes but no finishes outside the top 25.

But Hocevar’s contact sent Stenhouse into the wall, out of the race and down the standings and the playoff picture.

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ERIN, Wis. — It wasn’t that Maja Stark felt overly confident this week. Quite the contrary, in fact. The 25-year-old Swede came into the 80th U.S. Women’s Open with low expectations, thinking more about her status on tour than winning.

‘I think that I just stopped trying to control everything,’ said Stark, ‘and I just kind of let everything happen the way it happened.’

What unfolded on the wide and sometimes wild fairways and greens of Erin Hills was a fairy tale for Stark, who became the third Swede to win the U.S. Women’s Open, following in the footsteps of Liselotte Neumann and Annika Sorenstam.

‘They texted me yesterday and just kind of said, bring it home,’ said Stark, who entered the final round with a one-shot lead. ‘That was already cool to just get those texts. Just looking at all the names on the trophy. I love the U.S. Opens. I’m so happy that it’s mine now.’

To clinch her first major title, a steady Stark had to hold off an army of contenders on a golf course that can strike at any moment. Chief among those was world No. 1 Nelly Korda and a trio of Japanese hotshots in rookie Rio Takeda and major champions Mao Saigo and Hinako Shibuno.

‘I just felt like people are going to pass me probably,’ said Stark of her mindset with so many formidable chasers, ‘and I just had to stay calm through that.’

An aggressive player who often carries a good deal of swagger, Stark said in her post-tournament press conference that she didn’t want to rely on her confidence this week. Instead, little tricks like hovering the club above the ground before she hit to release tension, served her well.

Stark said her coach, Joe Hallett, ‘nailed the advice this week,’ particularly when it came to came putting.

‘He said that on my short putts I tend to be – if it’s for par, I tend to be a little bit too curious, like I just look at the hole too much and I end up open with my shoulders and my face,’ said Stark.

‘I’m left-eye dominant, so if I just look at the hole like that, then I end up seeing the line too far to the right. So he just said kind of tilt your head and just make sure that your shoulders are aligned.’

Stark finished the week fifth in strokes-gained putting, fourth in strokes-gained approach and 20th in strokes-gained off the tee. She was exceptionally solid throughout the bag and extra patient.

‘She was just really in the moment,’ said her comedian-turned-caddie Jeff Brighton, ‘and hit the right shots at the right time.’

Stark, who didn’t look at a leaderboard until the 17th, never lost the lead she’d slept on, closing with a 2-under 70 to finish at 7 under for the tournament, two strokes clear of Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda.

Korda, winless thus far in 2025, got within a stroke of the lead after she made the turn in 34, but as Stark made birdie on the par-4 11th, Korda dropped a shot up ahead at the 13th, building the Swede’s lead to three.

Korda often describes her relationship with the U.S. Women’s Open as complicated, and when asked why that is, said maybe it’s because she first played in one at age 14 and feels more emotionally tied.

‘I mean, definitely it’s gotten my heart broken a couple times,’ said Korda, ‘especially last year with coming off the season I was coming off of. To have that showing last year definitely put a dagger into my heart, but that’s just golf.

‘You’re going to lose more than you win a majority of the time. I feel like I actually learn a lot about myself and my game and where I need to improve playing the U.S. Women’s Open because it does test every part of your game.’

Before this week, Stark was worried that it might be some time before she played decent golf again. Her game felt so far away. Now she’s just the 56th player to ever hoist the U.S. Women’s Open trophy, and she couldn’t stop smiling.

‘I wasn’t as nervous as I thought that I would be because it felt like I have somewhat control of my game and I kind of know what’s going on,’ she said.

‘Then obviously with the pressure and everything, your mistakes get bigger, but it felt like I could just like control anything that was thrown at me really today.’

Vanderbilt, the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, was upset in its home regional, losing two out of three games.
The Commodores’ offense struggled mightily, batting .132 for the regional and getting no-hit for six innings in the opening game.
This marks Vanderbilt’s fourth straight year failing to advance past the opening regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

If you happen to see the Vanderbilt baseball team from the past few weeks, the one that won an epic series in Knoxville, swept through the SEC Tournament and earned the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, please notify someone on campus. People are looking for those Commodores.

Most of them weren’t at the NCAA Regional at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

Most of the Commodores hitters who did show up in their uniforms to lose two games in three days, ending a strong season in the weakest of fashions, were strangers.

They didn’t just play poorly. They played tight and timid and terrified of the moment. The opposite of this season’s famously clutch performances, these Commodores wanted zero smoke. They wilted in the hazy pressure, and it only got worse as that pressure increased.

A weekend that started alarming, with a close call in a 4-3 comeback victory over Wright State, turned disappointing with a 3-2 loss to Louisville, dropping Vanderbilt into the losers’ bracket. Then it just got embarrassing the next afternoon, with Wright State plating four runs in the first inning and withstanding a late rally to hold on for a 5-4 victory in an elimination game, putting Vanderbilt out of its misery.

And, truly, this was misery for any Vanderbilt fan unfortunate enough to be there to witness it.

The top-seeded Commodores played 27 innings, and they trailed in all but one. Their pitching and defense, for the most part, was solid enough.

But offensively? Haha.

In the opener, the Commodores were no-hit for six innings by a Wright State pitcher, Cam Allen, with an ERA above 5. Against Louisville, they didn’t have an extra-base hit or an RBI. Then, in the saddest of them all, Vanderbilt was silenced by another Raiders pitcher, Griffen Paige, who opened the game with an ERA of 8.90. Paige allowed one hit – ONE! – in eight innings.

For the regional, Vanderbilt batted .132 and didn’t get its first hit of the regional with a runner in scoring position until down to its final out in the final game. Prior to that, Vanderbilt started the regional 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Bad luck. Bad at-bats. Bad swings. Bad everything.

Such a thorough humbling for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, while stunning, would’ve been even more so if it didn’t continue a rough narrative for the home team.

This NCAA Tournament is no longer the Commodores’ playground. It’s now their house of horrors.

Since losing in the College World Series’ final game in 2021, Vanderbilt has failed to make it out of an opening regional for four consecutive years and counting. Its record in NCAA games the past three years is 2-6 (four losses were at Hawkins Field) and there are losses to Xavier, High Point and Wright State.

Last season’s 0-for-2 showing in an NCAA regional (including that High Point loss) seemed a turning point for a declining Vanderbilt program that appeared to get its act together in 2025.

These Commodores were a good team that had some good moments. Most notably, they regained control of the in-state rivalry against Tennessee, punctuating it with a blowout win over the Vols in the SEC Tournament. The No. 1 seed was a nice, surprise bonus, too.

But in college baseball, none of it means much without success at the end of the season. And that is when Vanderbilt’s baseball program has picked up a habit of shrinking from the challenge.

This was a priceless opportunity to change the narrative by proving otherwise.

Instead, with Vanderbilt’s regional embarrassment of 2025, that narrative is stronger than ever. And it’s impossible to dispute.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social

This story was updated to add new information

Carlos Edwin Colón Coates Jr., better known as pro wrestler Carlito, will not return to the WWE.

He announced on X that his current contract was set to expire in late June and would not be renewed. Carlito took a lighthearted approach to the news on social media and joked that he was going to own the company before adding, “All jokes aside, gracias WWE & especially the WWE universe. Los quiero mucho!”

Carlito returned to the company in 2023 when he returned at the premium live event, Backlash, to assist rapper Bad Bunny during a match in Puerto Rico. He spent most of his recent tenure in a supporting role as a member of the Judgement Day faction.

Carlito had originally joined the company in 2003 before leaving in 2010. The Puerto Rican wrestler only made a few sporadic appearances before returning full-time in 2023. He made two brief appearances on WWE programming, inducting his father Carlos Colón into the Hall of Fame in 2014 and participating in the 2021 Royal Rumble.

One of the more notable moments of his recent tenure was when he was speared by Bron Breakker.

Carlito’s WWE career achievements

Carlito won the United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, the WWE Tag Team Championships and the World Tag Team Championship.

What’s next for Carlito?

Carlito isn’t looking to slow down his career after winning the World Wrestling Council Puerto Rican Championship. The 46-year-old wrestler started his professional wrestling career with WWC in 1999. He had previously returned to WWC in 2010.

WWC is a wrestling promotion owned by his father.

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