Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Punch Ticket to WCWS With Win Over UCF
NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offense put in a steady performance to fire the Sooners into the Women’s College World Series on Saturday.
A day after run ruling the UCF Knights, OU finished the job with a 7-1 win at Marita Hynes Field.
“Just another really outstanding, complete game,” Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “… I feel like we’re on the uptick right now. We’re moving upward throughout the top and bottom of our lineup.”
The victory sent the Sooners (54-2) back to Oklahoma City for the 10th time in the last 11 years.
Through the first three innings, Oklahoma scored a pair of runs courtesy of an Alyssa Brito RBI-single and a Grace Lyons solo bomb, but the damage could have been much worse.
The Sooners left seven runners stranded in the first three innings, plating runs below the breakneck pace that has often been the norm this season.
While the OU hitters got to work adjusting to the UCF (49-14) pitchers, Sooner sophomore Nicole May held the Knights in check in the circle.
“She just loves big moments,” Gasso said of May. “And she seems to thrive when the pressure is on. I was really proud of her… She made some big adjustments that really changed the game.”
Starring in Super Regional play for the second straight year, May pitched a complete seven innings, striking out four Knight batters while only allowing two walks and three hits.
Despite the strong performance, May looked as calm and collected as ever in the circle, something which has been a constant throughout her young Oklahoma career.
“I think that’s how I’ve always been,” May said. “I don’t really tend to show a lot of emotion on the feudal unless I get really excited about something.
“I think it’s good to help me keep more of a neutral mindset.”
The stellar performance from May bought OU all the time it needed to bust the game open in the fourth inning.
Jocelyn Alo got aboard to start the threat when UCF third baseman Jada Cody was unable to handle a hard-hit grounder, allowing Alo to dig it out and reach base safely.
Tiare Jennings then moved Alo over to third when she scorched a double up the left field line, spraying chalk into the air as the ball landed right on the foul line just beyond third base.
With former Sooner Lauren Chamberlain conducting the “Boomer Sooner” chants in the crowd, Lyons stepped back in to torment the Knights.
The OU shortstop launched a no-doubter past the fence in center field to extend the lead to 5-0, bringing a return to the WCWS in sight for Gasso’s team.
Lyons credited the team’s ability to continually communicate throughout the game and adjust on the fly as the reason they were able to keep pouring on run support.
“Just learning on what the pitcher is going after us with,” she said after the game. “And then when we take out that pitcher, we go to the next one and it’s a new challenge.
“And just being able to adapt to that is definitely a key to our success offensively and I think that definitely allowed us to score as many runs as we did today.”
Super senior Jana Johns added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning, rocketing a solo shot to center field in her final game at Marita Hynes Field.
Not to be outdone, Alo returned to hammer one last softball in Norman.
The Hawaiian sent career home run No. 117 into the bleachers in left field to push the lead to 7-0.
In the bottom fo the sixth inning, the Knights ensured they wouldn’t head back to Orlando empty handed.
UCF’s Jada Cody skied a solo home run over Brito’s head in left field, scoring her team’s first run of the Super Regional.
Alo would return for one final plate appearance in the seventh inning, drawing a walk and then exiting the game to an earned standing ovation from the adoring fans in attendance.
Oklahoma will now turn its attention to defending its National Championship next week at Hall of Fame Stadium.
The 2022 Women’s College World Series starts June 2, and the Sooners will open play against the winner of the Super Regional between 9-seeded Northwestern and the 8-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils.
Per an OU spokesperson, Oklahoma’s first game at the WCWS is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
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