Oklahoma Outhits Texas in First Game of WCWS, Takes Game 1

Tiare Jennings' first inning blast and the Sooners relentless offense fared too much for Teagan Kavan and the Texas Longhorns.

Oklahoma second baseman Tiare Jennings (23) hits a home run in the first inning of the first game of the Women’s College World Series softball championship series between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

The Oklahoma Sooners needed just ten pitches to show why their seniors had won three national titles and were on their way to a fourth.

Senior centerfielder Jayda Coleman, who has been around for every single title run with the current core, started the game with a hit-by-pitch on freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan’s first pitch. 

Five pitches later, senior shortstop and slugger Tiare Jennings worked a full count. On the payoff pitch, Jennings sent a blast to left-centerfield, igniting the crowd in Oklahoma City and putting two runs on the board before Texas could even force an out. The home run ended up being the start of an eight-run day for Oklahoma, with the Sooners taking game one of the Women’s College World Series Championship Finals, 8-3.

The Longhorns did respond early to the Sooners offensive explosion. After giving up another base runner in the first, Kavan settled down and retired the rest of the side. Sitting at the second spot in the order, junior third baseman Mia Scott brought the energy from Austin. Scott turned on a middle-middle fastball and pulled the ball to right field, cutting the Oklahoma lead in half in the first. Texas looked like they had come to play.

But five innings later it was all Oklahoma. Texas failed to add a hit off of Oklahoma State graduate transfer Kelly Maxwell while the Sooners added five runs. Texas was down 7-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning and all energy was stripped from the Burnt Orange side of the ballpark.

Oklahoma's Kelly Maxwell (28) throws a pitch in the first inning of the Women's College World Series semifinal game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, June, 4, 2024. / Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY

Texas showed some spirit, however, which is a good sign heading into Thursday night’s matchup. Shortstop Viviana Martinez’s hard-hit ball found its way into the right field corner, allowing her to easily reach third on a leadoff triple to start the bottom of the sixth. After hits from Katie Stewart, Joley Mitchell and Kayden Henry, Texas had cut the lead to four runs. Freshman Victoria Hunter was called on to pinch-hit in the most important at-bat of her young career.

With runners at first and second, Hunter found her way into a 2-2 count. One swing could put the Longhorns back into the game, but one miss would almost surely kill the momentum for the rest of the game. Hunter stepped into the box and swung hard at an outside fastball. 

Strike three.

Maxwell erupted and the Sooners crowd was the loudest it had been all night. Oklahoma would add a run in the ninth, but the insurance run made no difference. Texas quickly was shut down 1-2-3, and Oklahoma was the winner of the first game of the best-of-three championship series.

Maxwell threw a complete game for the Sooners, while Kavan exited during a rough third inning where the Sooners found three more runs. The Longhorns threw out four pitchers, including tomorrow’s likely starter Mac Morgan for just under two innings.

Texas and Oklahoma will face off again on Thursday, June 6, where Oklahoma has a chance to secure its fourth straight WCWS title.