Jocelyn Briski shuts down Nebraska, leads Alabama to WCWS semifinals

Marlie Giles set the tone with a three-run homer to lift Alabama into the Women’s College World Series semifinals with a 5-1 defeat of Nebraska Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

That alone proved to be enough for Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski, who threw a complete-game one-hitter to move the Crimson Tide (56-7) one win away from the WCWS Championship Series.

Giles added a run on a sacrifice fly, finishing with four RBIs. Leadoff hitter Jena Young was 2-for-2 with an RBI single.

Lauren Camenzind provided the only hit for Nebraska (52-8), a fourth-inning solo homer. Jordy Frahm allowed three runs over two innings in her start. She was replaced by Alexis Jensen, who struck out six over four innings but allowed two unearned runs on two hits.

Despite putting the first two batters of the home first inning on base, the Crimson Tide seemed destined to come up empty after consecutive strikeouts. Giles made sure that wasn’t the case, smashing a first-pitch homer over the wall in center to open a 3-0 lead.

Briski retired the first 11 batters of the game before allowing her lone hit and run on Camenzind’s homer. She followed by retiring 10 of the final 12 batters she faced, with the only two baserunners reaching on errors. Briski struck out six and gave up no free passes to improve to 25-3.

Nebraska, which had a 27-game win streak snapped, faces Texas Sunday in an elimination game for the right to face Tennessee in the semifinals. Alabama awaits the winner of Sunday’s other elimination game between Texas Tech and UCLA for a Monday semifinal.

–Field Level Media