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VIDEO: Final Out

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Gators are national champions, once again.

The University of Florida softball team (60-7) is just the third program in NCAA Softball history to win back-to-back national titles, as the Gators downed Michigan (60-8) in Game 1 and Game 3 of the Women's College World Series Championship Series by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. The WCWS was played at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.

With tonight's win, Florida improved to 4-1 this season against the Wolverines. Coming into the WCWS Championships Series, Michigan had won 28-straight games, but then they ran into the wrecking machine that is Florida softball.

In addition, the 60 wins that the Gators posted this season is the third-highest mark in school history, as UF had win totals of 70 and 63 in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

The back-to-back NCAA titles makes Florida the first school in the Southeastern Conference with two championships, as Alabama won the conferences first crown in 2012.

Since the WCWS Championships Series moved to a best-of-three format, the team who has won Game 2 of the series has become the National Champions.

Until this year.

Overall for the WCWS, Gator senior Lauren Haeger is the third to be named USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Year and WCWS Most Outstanding Player in the same season. She joins Danielle Lawrie (Washington 2009) and Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma 2013).

In addition, the Peoria, Ariz., native is the third Gator to be named WCWS Most Outstanding Player. Michelle Moultrie shared the 2011 honor and Hannah Rogers claimed the 2014 award. Just a week ago, Haeger was named the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year, becoming the first Gator to receive the prestigious honor.

Joining Haeger on the WCWS All-Tournament team are Nicole DeWitt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart.

Lauren Haeger and Aubree Munro hug as UF won its second-straight NCAA title. Photo: Kelly Streeter

Game 3 Recap:

Behind a solid performance from senior Lauren Haeger in the circle, and clutch hits from the Gators offense, the University of Florida softball team won Game 3 of the Women's College World Series Championship Series over Michigan, 4-1, on Monday in front of a sell-out crowd at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

Still frustrated from being shutout for the first time all season yesterday, the Gators wasted no time getting on the board tonight.

In the bottom of the first inning, junior Kelsey Stewart and freshman Nicole DeWitt led off and each reached base by way of a hit-by-pitch and fielder's choice. Then, the 2015 National Player of the Year, Lauren Haeger, delivered an RBI single into center field to give UF a 1-0 lead.

That RBI was her 71st of the season, which marked a new career high for a single season.

Two batters later, DeWitt and Haeger were each in scoring position when junior Taylor Schwarz, who had just 12 RBI all season and was 1-for-11 in the NCAA Tournament, delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to give UF a solid 3-0 advantage.

One inning later, sophomore Justine McLean led off with an infield single. She then advanced to second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt. After the sac, Stewart knocked her in with her first RBI of the WCWS, as she smacked a doubled into left-center field.

Michigan scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth inning on three singles.

Following a pair of one-out singles by Tera Blanco and Abby Ramirez, Sierra Romero delivered a two-out RBI single to center field to plate Blanco.

In the circle, Haeger (32-2) tossed seven innings, while giving up five hits and striking out five Wolverines. Her counterpart, UM's Haylie Wagner, who dominated UF in Game 2 of the WCWS Championship Series, started and surrendered four runs on four hits in just 2.0 innings pitched.  

STARS OF THE GAME

·         Lauren Haeger: The senior earned her 73rd-career win in the circle and she notched an RBI single for the Gators in the first inning.  

·         Taylor Schwarz: The junior smacked a two-out, two-run double to left field in the bottom of the first inning.

·         Kelsey Stewart: The SEC Player of the Year mashed an RBI double into left-center field in the bottom of the second inning. It was her first RBI of the WCWS.

NOTABLES

·         This is the University of Florida's 35th National Title (33 NCAA and 2 AIAW).

·         Florida has now won two NCAA titles this season – softball and women's gymnastics.

·         UF has won at least two NCAA titles each of the last six seasons for a total of 13 in that span.

·         In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.

·         Florida ranked No. 1 on the 2015 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. The last preseason No. 1 team to win the NCAA title is Arizona in 2007.

·         In the 11 years of the Regional–Super Regional–WCWS format, Florida is the fifth No. 1 seed to win the title (Florida – 2015; Oklahoma – 2013; Arizona State – 2011; Arizona – 2007; Michigan – 2005).

·         The best two out of three championship series is now in its 12th year at the NCAA WCWS. The 1982-2004 title teams were determined by a championship game.

·         2015 is the second consecutive year both teams in the NCAA WCWS Championship Series or Game are both located east of the Mississippi River. The first time was in 2014 when Florida faced Alabama in the WCWS Championship series.

·         This is the eighth time in the 34-year history of the WCWS that the championship final does not contain a team from the Pacific Time Zone. The first 24 years of the event had at least one team in the final from a west coast state.

·         The Florida-Michigan meeting marks the fifth consecutive year a Southeastern Conference team appears in the WCWS Championship Series.

·         Florida is now 22-12 all-time at the WCWS.

·         The 2015 WCWS set an attendance record this week in Oklahoma City with a number of 78,078.

·         The Gators are now 69-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

·         During Tim Walton's (pictured right) tenure as head coach, UF is 64-21 in NCAA play and 22-12 at the WCWS.

·         The Gators finished the season by going 28-3 since April 1; the stretch includes 19 victories over ranked teams and 11 nonconference wins.

·         With her victory in the circle, Lauren Haeger finished her career with 73 wins and 71 home runs; she is the only player in Division I history to post 60+ in each category, and now has 70.

·         Haeger and Babe Ruth are the only players in Division I softball, baseball or Major League Baseball history to reach the 70-70 plateau.

·         Haeger finished the 2015 WCWS with a team-leading seven RBI.

·         Taylor Schwarz recorded her first extra-base hit of the NCAA Tournament with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning.

·         Kelsey Stewart notched her first RBI of the WCWS in the top of the second inning.

UP NEXT

The Gators will return home to Gainesville on Thursday and there will be a welcome-home celebration at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at 5 p.m. Gates will open at 4 p.m.

Florida is just the third program in NCAA softball history to win back-to-back NCAA titles. Photo: Tim Casey

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