Oklahoma Softball: OU Wins Second Straight National Title Behind Dominant Defensive Display

OU's defense held Texas in check, and the Sooner offense took over late to clinch the program's sixth National Championship.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Defense wins championships.

Oklahoma once again proved that adage on Thursday night, as the Sooners produced stellar play after stellar play in the field to keep themselves in Game 2 of the championship series at the Women’s College World Series.

OU kept Texas in check long enough for the offense to come alive in the fifth inning.

Punctuated by a thundering three-run shot from OU catcher Kinzie Hansen, the Sooners erased an early deficit to beat the Longhorns 10-5 and capture the program’s sixth National Championship at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Following last year’s title-winning squad, it’s the second time in school history the Sooners (59-3) have won back-to-back softball championships, also accomplishing the feat by winning it all in 2016 and 2017.

One night after OU’s 16-1 drubbing of the Longhorns, Texas (47-22-1) dug deep to respond and again opened the scoring in the first inning.

Janae Jefferson and Mia Scott were dialed in on Jordy Bahl early, as the two Longhorns hit back-to-back singles to start things off.

Bella Dayton then drew a walk, and Texas cashed in on a couple of runs via two consecutive sacrifice flies from Alyssa Washington and Mary Iakopo.

Texas designated player Courtney Day looked as if she would continue her hot streak with a three-run shot to left center field, but Jayda Coleman had other ideas.

The star sophomore timed her leap perfectly, extending her glove over the wall to keep the trio of runs off the board and end the inning.

It's a 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 🤧@jaydac00 | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/L8LvaKSJW9

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 10, 2022

"I have seen Jayda do that over and over and over in practice," Bahl said after the game, "but when it's in a game and she has your back as well as everyone else on our defense, that stuff fires me up more than any strike-out every will. 

"It gives us momentum and really just lets me take a deep breath."

OU head coach Patty Gasso said she knew how important the play was going to be when it happened, as defensive plays like that often flip games in the WCWS.

"That was a big momentum turn for us because easily the score could have looked a lot different than 2-0," she said. "I was really proud of her efforts and trying to make some things happen defensively.

"I told the team before we even started in this tournament defense plays a huge role. Now, hitting, timely hitting, pitching, but defense can make or break you. This tournament, our defense made us."

UT left-hander Estelle Czech then did a nice job keeping the Sooner bats relatively quiet the first time through the order while Bahl’s struggles continued.

Oklahoma’s NFCA Freshman of the Year allowed a single and a walk to start the second inning before recording three straight outs, courtesy of a nice snag by Taylon Snow at first base to end the inning.

Bahl erased a leadoff walk in the third with a strikeout and an outstanding effort by shortstop Grace Lyons to turn a double play, keeping OU in the game while the offense dialed in on Czech.

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

Grace Lyons did well to field Mary Iakopo's hard-hit grounder 

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

The star shortstop then fired the ball over to Tiare Jennings at second, starting the double play

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

Oklahoma's defense set the tone early on, helping contain the Texas attack 

Finally, OU found a breakthrough in the fourth inning.

Left fielder Alyssa Brito found grass in right center field, arriving at second safely to start the rally.

Then, disaster struck for the Longhorns.

OU’s Hansen appeared to bounce into a routine groundout, but Texas first baseman JJ Smith couldn’t handle the throw at first base, deflecting the ball up the right field line.

Savvy base running allowed Brito to score from second and Hansen advance all the way to third, cutting Texas’ lead in half off the error.

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

Alyssa Brito stayed aware on the base paths for Oklahoma

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

She took advantage of a Texas error to give Oklahoma its first run of the game

John E. Hoover / AllSooners.com

Later she would put the Sooners ahead with an RBI double

On the very next pitch, Snow tied the game with an RBI single.

Back level on the scoreboard, Bahl appeared to settle in.

Already with one out, Texas’ Smith tried to stretch a single to the wall into a double. Coleman again proved to be the eraser, firing a missile to second base and throwing Smith out.

Putting on a 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 😤❌@jaydac00 | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/5KeeOmd4nW

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 10, 2022

Bahl then sat Lauren Burke down on just her second strikeout of the night to end the fourth.

Just as they did on Saturday against Texas, Oklahoma’s offense erupted in the fifth.

Brito gave OU the lead with a two-out double, advancing Lyons to third.

Hansen then delivered the knockout punch.

The Sooner catcher uncorked a no-doubter to left field, handing OU a 6-2 lead. It was her first home run in 20 games — which was Oklahoma’s last regular season matchup against the Longhorns.

💪 𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐊 💪@kinziehansen three-run blast and it's 6-2, #Sooners‼️

📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/koqk28D2T9

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 10, 2022

From there, the Sooners rode the wave of momentum with the home crowd behind them to the finish line. 

"It's like a sea of red out there," Hansen said. "When they're behind us, it just kind of feels like a tidal wave. 

"Like the wave builds and builds and builds and we score runs, and it gets huge. It's kind of like there's no escaping us at that point."

Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso turned to sophomore Nicole May in relief of Bahl to start the fifth inning and finish the job.

May rung up a strikeout and a fly out before the defense again made an impactful play. This time Brito got on her horse to wrangle in a diving catch in shallow left field to set the Longhorns down in order.

OU iced the game in the sixth.

Tiare Jennings drove in Rylie Boone with a fly ball to center field, and Lyons blasted a three-run shot to put her team up 10-2.

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍' 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍⁉️@grace_lyons5 | OU 10, UT 2 pic.twitter.com/gjUeu3kLEl

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 10, 2022

May helped finish the contest strong  with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out two Texas batters and allowing only one hit.

The victory was the culmination of a season of work, Gasso said. 

"They don't take pitches off," she said. "They don't take days off. They like to win. They want to win. They love to win.

"... It's fun to watch them play, and their passion and exuberance and love for playing is really what kind of brings them together."

Game in hand, Gasso made a few final moves to close out the storybook season.

Super senior Jocelyn Alo was inserted into the game in left field in the bottom of the seventh, and she recorded the first two outs of the inning on fly balls.

Gasso then withdrew Alo, allowing the crowd at Hall of Fame Stadium to give the best hitter in the history of college softball one final curtain call as she fought back tears, hugging her teammates on the way back to the dugout.

Transfer pitcher Hope Trautwein was then called upon to close. She hit a batter, gave up two walks and a three-run home run to make it 10-5, but hung in to nail down the final two outs of the season, a fitting end to a memorable year. 

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