All Sooners

Oklahoma Softball: Jocelyn Alo Produced Another Memorable Performance in Home Finale

The Sooner star's storybook senior season continued on Saturday afternoon against the UCF Knights.

Ryan Chapman

NORMAN — Jocelyn Alo has a flair for the dramatic, and she showed it once again this weekend.

Late into the afternoon on Saturday, Alo’s Sooners were in cruise control. Up 6-0 on UCF, OU just needed to avoid disaster in the final innings at Marita Hynes Field to punch its ticket back to the Women’s College World Series.

With the Super Regional action looking as if it would wrap up in just two games, Alo came back up to the plate in the top of the sixth inning.

In what would seemingly be her last at-bat at Marita Hynes Field, Alo delivered the same result as her first ever at-bat in Norman — a towering home run.

The script writers hoping to construct the perfect storybook ending for Alo would be denied, however.

Oklahoma generated enough offense for college softball’s all-time home run leader to log one last plate appearance in the seventh inning, yet a scene unfolded that was arguably more special for the 1,704 fans gathered inside the park.

Alo drew a walk, allowing Patty Gasso to call time and bring in a pinch-runner so the Sooner slugger could have one last curtain call at Marita Hynes Field.

“The idea of the wanting the fans — if I could I would have done it for every super senior,” Gasso said after the game. “But in this case, it just seemed to be the right thing to do.”

Immediately, the crimson and cream-clad fans responded, pouring their appreciation toward Alo with a standing ovation and chants of “Jocy! Jocy!”

“The fans recognized it without question,” Gasso said. “It was a cool moment.”

For Alo, she was so overcome with emotion she struggled to find her thoughts about what her last game in Norman meant to her.

“I just am thinking a lot of happy thoughts right now,” Alo said. “And I can’t even, like, put it into words what it is that I’m feeling. Nothing but grateful for this Sooner program and the Sooner fans and just the energy they bring every day, every game.

“Every gameday is electric and you won’t find a better fanbase, that’s for sure. But to play in front of these fans these past five years have been — it just got better every year. And I think it’s just going to continue to get better.”

Alo wasn’t the only Sooner star playing her last game in Norman on Saturday.

Jana Johns, Taylon Snow, Lynnsie Elam and Hope Trautwein also took the field for the last time at Marita Hynes Field.

But as far as finales go, every OU player dreams of pulling the panel off the outfield wall representing where a WCWS appearance would be placed, a now-yearly tradition when the Sooners officially qualify to head back to Oklahoma City.

SB - 2022 Super Regionals, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone
Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman-USA Today Network

After congratulating UCF on a fantastic season, the Sooners rushed to the outfield wall

SB - 2022 Super Regionals, Jocelyn Alo, Jana Johns, Lynnsie Elam
Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman-USA Today Network

The entire team carried the panel back toward home plate with the super seniors leading the way

SB - 2022 Super Regionals
Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman-USA Today Network

Oklahoma hopes the "2022" will be emblazoned in gold next year, as the Sooners look to repeat as National Champions 

“This is the best way we could have ended it for our seniors,” OU shortstop Grace Lyons said. “Doing it for them and putting a smile on their face.

“Seeing them carry the panel to home plate, it’s something that you look forward to growing up through the program. So once you’re a senior, it’s super special for them and I’m happy we could get the W the way we did today.”

After the season, there will be plenty of time to absorb the events of this year.

Alo conceded that while she’s tried to cherish every moment this year, the sentimentality will come after the team reaches their final goal in a couple of weeks.

“It’s been a wonderful five years,” she said. “… I’m sad that I won’t get to play another game here again, but wouldn’t want to go out any other way. And even if I didn’t hit a home run, I still went out with a W, and that’s all that matters.

“And we’re going back to the World Series.”

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!

Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!

Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.

Published
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

Home/Softball