OKLAHOMA CITY — A late game comeback raised fans' excitement in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't meant to be for the Gophers Softball team in their first ever Women's College World Series.
The Gophers lost to the Washington Huskies 5 to 3 in an elimination game, just two days after losing to UCLA.
The game was delayed three hours in the sixth inning because of lightning and rain.
Plain, a first-team NFCA All-American, was dominant until the seventh inning. Taran Alvelo relieved her to earn the save.
Washington (51-8), last year's World Series runner-up, advanced to play Oklahoma State in an elimination game later Saturday.
Minnesota (46-14) lost both games in its first World Series appearance.
Washington's Morganne Flores, the second batter of the game, sent a pitch from Minnesota's Amber Fiser over the fence in center to open the scoring. Sami Reynolds scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 2-0.
Minnesota's Carlie Brandt doubled to score Emma Burns in the third and get the Golden Gophers on the board. That snapped Plain's 35 2/3-inning scoreless streak. She hadn't surrendered a run since the regular-season finale against Arizona on May 5.
In the fourth, Washington's Sis Bates singled to score Madison Huskey to make it 3-1. When play resumed after the delay, Washington's Reynolds doubled to score Bates and Megan Vandegrift and push the Huskies' lead to 5-1.
Minnesota rallied in the seventh. Brandt two-out double scored two and made it 5-3. Alvelo stepped in for Plain and struck out MaKenna Partain to earn the save.
While the Gopher's road has come to a close, Washington will move on to face Oklahoma State.
