Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Ride Explosive Fifth Inning to Beat Texas
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s offense can only be contained for so long.
After Texas pitcher Hailey Dolcini kept the Sooners relatively under wraps for four innings Saturday, OU finally found a major breakthrough.
Punctuated by a towering Tiare Jennings home run, the Sooners rode a four-run fifth inning to power past the Longhorns 7-2 at Hall of Fame Stadium.
The way the game started, it looked like the Oklahoma avalanche would come from the onset.
OU (56-2) needed just two batters to put a pair of runs on the board.
Jayda Coleman opened the game with a double, and Jocelyn Alo smacked a two-run home run to left field to put the Sooners in front in the first inning.
“That was fun, being able to lead it off,” Coleman said after the game. “I knew if I just get on base, I could trust Jocy to get me in.
“She hit a bomb, it was great.”
Alo said the fast start was always the plan, but it was another thing putting it into action on Saturday.
“It was funny, (Coleman and I) talked about it last night,” Alo said after the game. “I was like, you're going to get on and I'm going to hit you in.”
Texas (44-20-1) immediately responded, however, cutting the deficit in half in the bottom of the first.
Longhorn shortstop Alyssa Washington provided the scoring punch, as she ripped a screamer just past OU third baseman Jana Johns' glove to plate Mia Scott.
With the score at 2-1 in Oklahoma’s favor, both pitchers settled into the game.
Dolcini retired nine straight OU batters after surrendering the home run, and appeared to be putting in another gem of a performance against the explosive Oklahoma lineup.
Dolcini’s counterpart in the circle, OU’s Hope Trautwein, was steady as well.
After allowing the run in the first inning, no Texas baserunner reached second base off Trautwein until the sixth inning.
Oklahoma’s super senior was especially excellent with first base occupied, as the Longhorns hit a dismal 2-for-13 with runners aboard, essentially erasing the six hits and two walks Trautwein allowed.
In Trautwein’s second start on the Women’s College World Series stage, Gasso said she was ecstatic with her pitcher’s response to the adversity.
“It's a game changer. This was a big game,” Gasso said. “This obviously was the biggest game of our season and the biggest game in Hope's career.
“I felt like she did a really nice job with Northwestern, that built her confidence. But to be honest, we talked a lot about playing in the Big 12 tournament here in Oklahoma City. There was about 7,000 fans here. That kind of preps you. I don't think there's any other teams in the country that play in front of that many fans. So that really helped our cause.”
But Dolcini’s fortunes changed in the fifth inning.
OU right fielder Rylie Boone led off the frame with a bunt single, and Johns immediately moved Boone over to second with a sacrifice bunt.
Coleman then returned for her second double of the game, bouncing the ball off the right field wall to plate Boone and add to the Sooner lead.
Alo then returned to further torment Dolcini.
The Sooner slugger ripped a single up the middle, and the throw to the plate was too slow for a play on Coleman. Oklahoma’s center fielder slid in safely at home, extending the advantage to 4-1.
Oklahoma’s offensive flurry had the crowd at Hall of Fame Stadium on their feet, and Texas head coach Mike White felt he had seen enough. White replaced Dolcini in the circle with true freshman Sophia Simpson, much to the joy of OU’s Jennings.
Last year’s NFCA Freshman of the Year then baptized Simpson to the Women’s College World Series environment, launching a towering two-run homer that nearly cleared the top rows of the left field bleachers, pushing the lead to 6-1.
Ahead of the offensive outburst, Jennings said the biggest adjustment the team made was being more selective with the looks Dolcini gave them.
“(It was) a matter of just getting our timing down and getting the pitch we wanted,” Jennings said. “She was obviously mixing it both sides of the plate. Getting the pitch we wanted and adjusting from there.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Trautwein was a fielding error away from retiring the Longhorns in order, ensuring the momentum stayed firmly in OU’s corner.
Alyssa Brito put the contest further out of reach, as her RBI single brought Alo home and put OU up 7-1 in the top of the seventh inning.
Longhorn second baseman Janae Jefferson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for the final tally.
Trautwein closed out the win, completing seven innings of action.
“(Trautwein) was stellar, fantastic,” Gasso said. “Looking at her numbers, I'm seeing them for the first time really — one strikeout. Our defense, she fed our defense. Our defense played great. She doesn't have to try to overthrow to get strikeouts because our defense is great.
“I thought she had good command. I thought she did a great job.”
Now 2-0 at the WCWS, Oklahoma will have Sunday off.
The Sooners wait for the losers bracket to work itself out, and they’ll return to action on Monday. From there, OU will just need one win to punch its ticket back to the championship series.
Oklahoma’s next game is Monday at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
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