Softball Live Blog: Oklahoma Opens WCWS in a Rematch With Duke

The No. 2-seeded Sooners and 10-seeded Blue Devils played on the first night of the season, and now meet again in Oklahoma City at the Women's College World Series.

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ryan Chapman and John Hoover offer their real-time observations as the 2-seeded Oklahoma Sooners open the Women’s College World Series agains the 10-seeded Duke Blue Devils at Devon Park, formerly USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Newest posts are at the top. Just keep the browser open and refresh often for Chapman and Hoover’s updates throughout this evening's contest. 

5:24 p.m.

Sooners win it 9-1 with a sixth-inning run rule. It’s Alyssa Brito who provides the two-run single in the sixth.

Sooners will play UCLA Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC.

Lots more coverage coming after the press conferences…

— JH

5:16 p.m.

Jayda Coleman is just ridiculous — with a glove or with a bat. Her diving catch in center to end a bases-loaded threat in the fourth inning saved at least two runs, and she just reached out for a low, outside pitch and pulled it to the right field corner for a double. Such talent.

— JH

5:11 p.m.

Heck of a play there by Avery Hodge at second.



Ball took a skip and bounced into her, but she was still able to turn the double play.

Parent section loved it. All the OU fans loved it. Sooners rolling even with some changes out in the field. 

Oklahoma up 7-1 headed to the bottom of the sixth. 

— RC

5:04 p.m.

Sanders flies out to end a 1-2-3 inning for the Sooners, and we head to the sixth inning in OKC. Sooners lead it 7-1.

— JH 

4:56 p.m.

Sooners will head to the bottom of the fifth with a chance to run-rule Duke. 

Really nice play by Cydney Sanders at first base to keep the inning relatively stress-free for Deal. 

— RC 

4:46 p.m.

Kinzie Hansen again delivers, this time with a one-out RBI single that scores Maya Bland to put Oklahoma up 7-1.

This is the Sooner offense we expected to see. 

It’ll be interesting to watch how the pitching storylines develop over the next few days.

— JH

4:46 p.m.

Kinzie Hansen adds another with an RBI-single, and the Sooners are on top 7-1. This game is creeping up on run-rule territory with a pair on and only one out in the fourth. 

— RC 

4:36 p.m.

Jayda Coleman’s catch seized the momentum. 

Rylie Boone carried it with a signature bunt that she turned into a single. 

And Cydney Sanders put the cherry on top with a two-run shot. 

This Duke pitching staff is really good, and it looks like the same old Oklahoma offense. 

The rest of the WCWS field will be monitoring this result. The Sooners are back on the prowl in Oklahoma City, up 6-1 and hunting for more in the fourth. 

Duke bringing in Lillie Walker for Wright. 

— RC 

4:32 p.m.

Jayda Coleman has arrived at the WCWS. 

She robs Duke of at least two runs with a diving grab in center to end the threat. An incredibly tough play that she somehow made look effortless, just like all of her other robberies. 

Patty Gasso has said it countless times this year about the senior class, but OU fans need to cherish plays like that. 

— RC 

4:27 p.m.

Don’t start thinking about an OU-UCLA matchup quite yet. 

A pair of walks and a hit batter have the bases loaded for Duke with two outs.

Patty Gasso heads out to the circle herself to pull Maxwell in favor of Kierston Deal with the Sooners up 4-1 in the fourth. 

— RC 

4:11 p.m.

In principle, the pitching change to move to Wright was a smart move. 

But 23 pitches later, both Kinzie Hansen and Alynah Torres have hammered two-run shots. 

Sooners feasting against the NFCA Second Team All-American. 

Oklahoma on top 4-1 in the third. 

— RC 

4:06 p.m.

Kinzie Hansen — who else? — comes through for the Sooners lineup, a two-run home run into the left field seats to score Jayda Coleman. 

The stolen base (and close call at second base) by Coleman was superfluous after all.

2-1 Oklahoma.

— JH

3:59 p.m.

Oklahoma got to Curd the second time through the lineup in February. Duke was clearly not going to let that happen again, as Jala Wright is now in the circle to face Tiare Jennings. 

— RC 

3:57 p.m.

Offensive spark? Jayda Coleman leads off the third by ripping a line drive back up the middle, then tries to ignite the team — and the crowd — from her usual perch on first base.

Pitching change coming for Duke. Right hander Jala Wright now pitching for the Blue Devils.

— JH

3:49 p.m.

Curd did a nice job getting herself out of trouble with the weak flare by Cydney Sanders, but Alyssa Brito getting caught in a rundown between third and home could come back to haunt the Sooners. OU leaves runners at second and third and commit a base running blunder — stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

Someone’s going to need to get the bats going, although I just assumed it was Brito that inning.

— JH

3:45 p.m.

Alyssa Brito thrown out at home in a fielder’s choice. 

Patty Gasso obviously can’t see the future, but think she would have been better off just sending Brito all the way home on Pickering’s single and test Duke’s defense. To be fair, D’Auna Jennings played the ball perfectly off the fence and got the ball back into the infield quickly. 

— RC 

3:34 p.m. 

Not too sure what to make of Maxwell through two innings. She’s struck out three Duke batters, but also clearly battling some early control issues. The home run was a location miss, and her balls haven’t exactly been nibbling around the strike zone. She’s gotta settle in, but not too bad considering she’s given up just the single run, but has already issued a pair of walks.

— RC 

3:33 p.m.

After giving up the solo home run to load Duke with a 1-0 lead, Kelly Maxwell refocuses and strikes out Amiah Burgess and Ana Gold. A walk, however, brings on a mound visit from Jen Rocha, followed by another walk.

Does not look like Maxwell is really even close to her best stuff.

— JH

3:22 p.m.

I did predict offense — although not necessarily for Duke. Francesca Frelick just took Kelly Maxwell out of the yard with a solo home run to left.

Ryan tells me she was 0-for-2 in the regular-season matchup in February.

1-0 Blue Devils, T2.

—JH

3:18 p.m.

Curd just needed 10 pitches to get out of the first inning, but neither Patty Gasso nor JT Gasso will mind. Coleman, Jennings and Hansen all attacked early, which is when the OU bats are at their best. Nice patience by Parker to draw the two-out walk, but Curd missed her spot to run that count up to 3-0 pretty quickly. 

— RC

3:12 p.m.

Sooners come into today with four batters hitting over .400 and two others at .394. And another at .372. 

I predict some offense.

We’ve already seen the defense, thanks to Alynah Torres’ blue-star play at second base. 

— JH

3:11 p.m.

Easy as you like. Maxwell sits Duke down in order and it's time for OU's bats to get to work.

— RC

3:06 p.m.

Glad to be part of today’s live blog. Writing about today’s game versus Duke, rather than taking photos like I did the previous three years.

I know, that seems risky to Sooner fans. But I promise, I’m not the jinx.

— JH

3:04 p.m.

A true rematch it will be! Cassidy Curd is starting in the circle for the Blue Devils, giving us the exact same pitching matchup as the first battle between these two teams.

Curd did a good job containing OU the first time through the lineup, but the Sooners struck for all three of their runs in the third inning down in Mexico courtesy of a Tiare Jennings home run and a pair of RBI-singles from Alynah Torres and Kasidi Pickering.

— RC

3:00 p.m.

Unsurprisingly, Kelly Maxwell gets the start in the circle for the Sooners. She pitched five shutout innings against Duke earlier this year, allowing just one hit, one walk and a hit batter while fanning two Blue Devils. 

Elsewhere, it’s business as usual for the Sooners. Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders will start on the right side of the infield. 

— RC