Mac Leonard gave the lead with a swing in the bottom of the fourth as Florida State tried to force Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series.
Both hitters survived.
Reflecting the dominance they’ve shown all season, Oklahoma led with homers in a row starting in the top of the fifth on Thursday. The Sooners then conceded a solid run in the sixth inning to defeat Florida State 3-1 and clinch their third consecutive national title in front of a packed stadium of more than 12,000 partisans in Oklahoma City. bottom. The Sooners beat Florida State again in 2021.
Only UCLA, from 1988 to 1990, has won three straight titles. However, the Sooners’ good progress will continue beyond the 2020s. They have won the U.S. Championship six times in the last ten years, and his seven in program history, all under his coach Patti Gasso. Only UCLA and Arizona have more.
With almost any stat selected, the Sooners numbers are at the top of the list.
home run? yes. What is your slugging percentage? Of course. Run every game? of course.
What about pitching? He also ranks first in defence.
That combined for a 53-game winning streak, an NCAA Division I record, surpassing Arizona’s 47-game winning streak in 1996 and 1997. Oklahoma’s only blemish was a 4-3 loss to Baylor in February.
In a post-match television interview, Gasso said the high expectations and weight of the team’s winning streak were “suffocating”.
“They treated us like champions. That’s why we’re here now,” she said of her players.
Oklahoma was another powerhouse last year, getting off to a record 38-0 start. Two key members of that team were at the U.S. Softball Hall of Fame stadium on Thursday, but were not on the field. Jocelyn Arro, who finished college as a lifelong home run king, sat in the stands, and star pitcher Hope Troutwein joined the coaching staff.
Enter the transfer portal. Thursday’s starter Alex Strako had 300 strikeouts at the University of Michigan last year. No. 3 hitter Haley Lee joined Oklahoma after four seasons at Texas A&M and hit 40 home runs in his final two years. And seventh-hitter Sidney Sanders joined the program after hitting 21 home runs and earning All-American honors as a freshman at Arizona State.
There were also key retainers, including Tiare Jennings, Jada Coleman and Jordyn Burr, who were among the 10 finalists for this season’s Player of the Year. Alyssa Brito, in her second season from Oregon, tied Jennings and Coleman with 17 home runs.
However, this accolades and great record doesn’t mean Oklahoma City wasn’t put to the test by Oklahoma City. Outstanding Stanford freshman pitcher Nijalee Kanady nearly held off the Sooners’ bat in the first round of the quarterfinals, and Cardinal pushed Oklahoma into overtime in the semifinals.
After that, Florida State seemed to find a breakthrough in Game 2. In the top of the third, Kathryn Thundercock wriggled out of a no-out bases-loaded predicament, and in the second half when two runners were on base, Kalei Harding sent a batted ball. Drive towards the medium fence.
But Coleman rushed back, timed the leap, and stole the ball for the second straight season in the championship series, effectively robbing Oklahoma of a chance to win.
Sanders and captain Grace Lyons hit a tying home run and a game-winning home run. After that, Barr, who won a two-hit shutout victory in the first round, appeared in relief. She swept all nine batters she faced to win the game and was named Most Valuable Player of the Series.
After all the fanfare and anticipation throughout the season, the final blow and miss brought a celebratory mood. According to Gasso, it also brought “freedom.”
