Mitchell HRs lift Horns in WCWS opener vs. Gators

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Joley Mitchell homered doubly and Teagan Kavan allowed conscionable 2 hits to pb sixth-seeded Texas past No. 3 effect Florida 3-0 connected Thursday to unfastened play astatine the Women's College World Series.

Mitchell homered successful the 2nd and sixth innings disconnected Florida ace Keagan Rothrock, becoming the archetypal Texas subordinate to deed aggregate location runs astatine the WCWS.

"Kind of a cleanable slate for me," said Mitchell, who didn't look Rothrock successful past year's WCWS crippled betwixt the teams. "I knew I needed to beryllium connected time, and that's benignant of conscionable the forefront of my thoughts."

Texas (52-11) volition play the victor of Thursday's crippled betwixt Oklahoma and Tennessee connected Saturday. Florida (48-16) volition play the Oklahoma-Tennessee loser connected Friday successful an elimination game.

Kavan tossed her 3rd shutout successful 2 years of WCWS enactment astatine Devon Park.

"I mean, it's the spot to be," Kavan said. "There's nary different spot I would alternatively be. A batch of radical would springiness a batch to beryllium here. So I'm grateful to beryllium present to springiness my each for my teammates and travel retired with immoderate wins for us."

Back-to-back location runs by Mitchell and Katie Stewart successful the sixth ended Rothrock's day. She was pulled aft throwing 105 pitches. Three of the 5 hits she allowed were location runs.

Mitchell's archetypal location tally traveled 250 feet to near field.

The Gators were hitless done 3 innings against Kavan, who improved to 25-5. Florida yet broke done successful the 4th inning erstwhile Korbe Otis lined a basal deed disconnected Mitchell's mitt astatine archetypal base.

"I mean, she's a bully pitcher," Otis said. "Everybody that we're going to look astatine the College World Series is going to beryllium a bully pitcher. She conscionable made a fewer amended pitches than we were capable to hit, truthful she did a bully job."

Texas led 1-0 successful the 5th but threatened against Rothrock, putting runners connected archetypal and 2nd with 2 out. She struck retired Reese Atwood looking to extremity the inning.

Now the Gators, who reached the semifinals of past season's double-elimination tournament, are playing to widen their season.

"Obviously, it's a immense letdown to suffer the archetypal crippled of the College World Series, and the mode they spell astir their concern conscionable tells maine everything I request to cognize astir the radical that I coach," Florida manager Tim Walton said. "They instrumentality it serious. They compete. They enactment hard, and they bask what they do. So to me, nary substance what we bash tomorrow, contiguous was a learning opportunity."