Category: Softball

Kinzie Hansen, Sooners create magic in final game at Marita Hynes Field

Kinzie Hansen’s magical moment closed out the Oklahoma Sooners time at Marita Hynes Field and launched them into the Women’s College World Series.

This weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners said goodbye to Marita Hynes Field in the only way they knew how: with a bit of “Sooner Magic.”

They got things going with a pair of home runs to open the game. The back-to-back bombs from Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings seemed like it would set the stage for a Sooners rout, but Clemson had other plans.

Tigers’ starter Brooke McCubbin settled and kept Oklahoma from extending their lead until the fourth inning when Alyssa Brito’s home run and Sophia Nugent’s fielder’s choice RBI extended the lead to 4-0. At that point, it felt like the Sooners were going to run away with the game and into the Women’s College World Series.

But then the Tigers responded in kind with a three-run home run from Maddie Moore in the fourth and a two-run shot from McKenzie Clark to kickstart a five-run fifth that put Clemson up 7-4.

Those seven runs were the first time Oklahoma’s pitching staff had allowed five or more runs in 2023. That’s how good Jordy Bahl, Nicole May, Alex Storako and Kierston Deal had been this season.

After a scoreless sixth inning, it was looking like Oklahoma would be playing again on Sunday. But the Sooners had other plans.

Rylie Boone singled to start the top of the seventh and with two outs in the inning Haley Lee came through in the clutch to keep the inning alive. That’s when Kinzie Hansen provided the heroics to extend the game for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Her three-run home run was the magical moment the Sooners needed to pull off the victory and close their storied history at Marita Hynes Field with a win. But it wasn’t just any other win.

It was a record-setting 48th consecutive win. It was the win that propelled them to their seventh-straight Women’s College World Series. It was a win on Patty Gasso’s birthday. It was an emotional win over an up-and-coming program that’s seen a rapid ascent.

During a weekend in which Oklahoma Softball and its illustrious alumni remembered their time at Marita Hynes Field, Hansen, Tiare Jennings, and the Oklahoma Sooners created another incredible moment. A memory that will be imprinted on the hearts and minds of those on the field in crimson and those in Sooner Nation for years to come, even after Oklahoma’s selling out their new home at Love’s Field.

Texas softball’s season comes to an end with super regional loss to Tennessee

Texas softball’s season ends in the super regionals.

Texas softball’s season has come to an end after dropping game two of the super regional to Tennessee 9-0. The Tennessee victory clinches a spot in Oklahoma City for the first time since 2015.

The Longhorns trailed 1-0 entering the fifth inning before chaos broke loose and the Vols broke the game open. Texas’ bats struggled to get anything going for the entirety of the contest, only picking up two base hits.

Texas still has tons to hang their hat on from the 2023 season. Mike White’s team went 45-15, swept through the Austin Regional and made a fourth straight super regional.

Losing out just shy of the Women’s College World Series always stings, but the Longhorns have reasons for optimism. The future is bright for this Texas team as they return a strong core of young players next season.

Contact/Follow usΒ @LonghornsWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ FacebookΒ to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Oklahoma Sooners rally for 8-7 win over Clemson, advance to Women’s College World Series

Kinzie Hansen tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run home run and Tiare Jennings won it in the ninth with a solo shot to send the Oklahoma Sooners to the WCWS.

The Oklahoma Sooners started hot but needed late-inning heroics to beat the Clemson Tigers, 8-7, and advance to the Women’s College World Series.

Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings opened the game with back-to-back home runs to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead.

Clemson settled and held Oklahoma in check in the second and third inning. In the top of the fourth, Alyssa Brito put the Sooners up 3-0 with a solo home run. Later in the inning, after Oklahoma loaded the bases, Sophia Nugent came in and drove in a run with a fielder’s choice to make it 4-0.

The Tigers responded in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run home run from Maddie Moore to make it 4-3. In the fifth inning, Clemson erupted for five runs, first taking the lead on a two-run home run from McKenzie Clark. The Tigers weren’t done, loading the bases and picking up a pair of runs to put Clemson ahead 7-4 and seemingly in control.

After a scoreless sixth, the Sooners came up in the seventh and had to face USA Softball National Player of the Year finalist Valerie Cagle. Rylie Boone led off with a single but Coleman and Jennings couldn’t follow suit. With two outs in the seventh and Oklahoma still down three, Haley Lee singled to put two on for Kinze Hansen.

Facing two strikes, Hansen came up clutch with a three-run home run to tie the game.

Jordy Bahl came in for the bottom of the seventh and shut the door on the Tigers, pitching three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

In the top of the ninth, Tiare Jennings wasted little time putting the Sooners up with a solo shot to lead off the inning. It was Jennings second home run of the game and the one that sent the Sooners to Oklahoma City.

Clemson was able to get a hit in the bottom of the ninth despite Jayda Coleman’s diving attempt, but Bahl closed the door on the Tigers’ rally to give the Sooners the win. She was absolutely nails in the win, shutting down a Clemson offense that had been productive in the series.

With the win, the Sooners set a Division I record for consecutive victories with their 48th in a row. They haven’t lost since February and continue to prove you can never count Oklahoma out, no matter the deficit.

The Sooners advance to the Women’s College World Series in hopes of defending their back-to-back national championships.

Social media reacts to Kinzie Hansen’s 3-run homer to help Sooners rally to beat Clemson

In what was an epic game, the Oklahoma Sooners pulled off an incredible comeback to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

The Oklahoma Sooners are undeniable. No lead is too big. All it takes is one swing of the bat, and they can turn a game around.

That’s what Kinzie Hansen did in the seventh. With the Sooners down three runs but with two on base and two outs, Hansen was down to her final strike when she launched a three-run bomb over the left field wall to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

In the top of the ninth, Tiare Jennings hit a solo home run to give Oklahoma an 8-7 lead, and Jordy Bahl closed it with a shutdown performance to give the Sooners the win.

Oklahoma advances to the Women’s College World Series and, in the process, set a record for most consecutive wins in Division I softball at 48.

It was another incredible performance in a season filled with them. The win had Sooner Nation and the softball world buzzing. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter.

Lady Vols advance to College World Series

Lady Vols advance to the College World Series.

No. 4 national seed Tennessee (49-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 13 Texas (45-15-1, 11-7 Big 12), 9-0, in Game 2 of the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium on Saturday.

The Lady Vols won the best-of-three series, 2-0, and advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tennessee won the first game versus the Longhorns, 5-2, on Friday.

The 2023 Women’s College World Series will take place June 1-9 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field.

Tennessee advances to its eighth Women’s College World Series appearance in program history.

PHOTOS: A look at Monica Abbott’s first pitch at Lady Vols’ softball game

Year in review: Bri Ellis

The Auburn slugger followed her stellar freshman campaign with another great season at the plate.

It has been five days since theΒ Auburn Tigers fell 5-1 to the Clemson Tigers in the final game of the regional hosted by their opponents.

The Tigers enjoyed a solid year, winning 43 games for the first time since [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] took over the program and finished third in the SEC.

The first transfer player to highlight in our Year in Review series is [autotag]Bri Ellis[/autotag].

In her two seasons with the program, Ellis has started in 117 of 118 games and has built a resume that included a batting average of .288 and 34 home runs (better known as “Bri Bombs”).

YEAR IN REVIEW: Maia Engelkes Aspyn Godwin Carlee McCondichie Lindsey Garcia

Here is a look at the season that was for Bri Ellis:

How to watch Alabama softball vs. Northwestern on Saturday

Alabama softball is now in must-win mode on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals against Northwestern!

Patrick Murphy and the Alabama softball team have entered must-win mode following Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama turned to Montana Fouts on Friday night, but some early errors from both Fouts and the other infielders led to two of the Wildcats’ scores. Fouts threw 3.1 innings in her return from a knee injury and Jaala Torrence would replace her and deliver 3.2 scoreless innings of work from the mound.

Outside of Ashley Prange, the Alabama offense could not muster much success from the plate.

Alabama will need to win on Saturday night to force a game three on Sunday. Here is how you can catch Saturday night’s action from Tuscaloosa!

Karen Weekly recaps Lady Vols’ series-opening win versus Texas

Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly recaps the Lady Vols’ series-opening win versus Texas.

No. 4 national seed Tennessee (48-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 13 Texas (45-14-1, 11-7 Big 12), 5-2, in game No. 1 of the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee leads the best-of-three series, 1-0. The winner between the Lady Vols and Longhorns will advance to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

β€œReally happy to get a win,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “That was a tough, tough game just like we expected it was going to be. Tomorrow’s going to be even tougher. We need to come out and be prepared for that, and I have every confidence that we will.

“I’m just really proud of our team for battling. That was a game with a lot of momentum swings, and they made surges. Just two really, really good teams out there.”

Game No. 2 is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. EDT and ABC will televise the contest.

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Twitter reaction to Lady Vols’ game No. 1 win versus Texas softball

Twitter reaction to the Lady Vols’ game No. 1 win versus Texas softball in the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional.

No. 4 national seed Tennessee (48-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 13 Texas (45-14-1, 11-7 Big 12), 5-2, in game No. 1 of the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee leads the best-of-three series, 1-0. The winner between the Lady Vols and Longhorns will advance to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Game No. 2 is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. EDT and ABC will televise the contest.

Tennessee-Texas NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional softball schedule

Tennessee softball hosting Big Orange Watch Party for NCAA Tournament Super Regional

Following Tennessee’s win versus Texas in game No. 1, Vols Wire looks at postgame social media buzz. Postgame social media buzz is listed below.

Power hitting paces the Oklahoma Sooners in win over Clemson

In the blink of an eye, the Oklahoma Sooners can put up a big inning like they did against Clemson in their 9-2 win over the Tigers.

One of the intriguing storylines to follow heading into the super regional matchup between Oklahoma and Clemson was how well the Tigers could keep the Sooners’ long ball in check.

Clemson’s pitching staff arrived in Norman allowing just 15 home runs all season long. Oklahoma had hit 104 home runs during the season. Something was going to give.

In game one, it was the Sooners’ power hitting that was the biggest difference in the game.

Even in the first inning, though they didn’t hit a home run, it was shots to the warning track that allowed Oklahoma to get on the board first. A leadoff double by [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] followed by back-to-back warning track sacrifice flies scored Coleman to put the Sooners up 1-0 in the early going.

Clemson had been making noise throughout the first four innings, though they’d yet to get to [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]. Clemson starter [autotag]Valerie Cagle[/autotag] held Oklahoma to just one hit through three innings and none after Coleman’s leadoff double.

In the bottom of the fourth, [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] hit her third home run in as many games to give the Sooners a more comfortable 4-0 lead. That bomb was just an appetizer to the fifth inning feast Oklahoma would have at the plate.

The Tigers responded in the top of the fifth, finally pushing a couple of runs across the plate on Oklahoma’s ace.

But that seemed to awaken Oklahoma’s lineup in the bottom of the frame. Rylie Boone got the inning started with a bunt single down the first base line, and Coleman and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] followed with back-to-back singles. Then came [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] with the grand slam followed by [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag]’s bomb to give Oklahoma a commanding 9-2 lead.

And just like that, any chance Clemson had at stealing game one from the Sooners was gone.

That’s what the Sooners do. They can score in a hurry and they do so in an emphatic way. Just when Clemson had roared it’s way back into the game in the top of the fifth, the Sooners flipped a switch and shut the lights out on the Tigers.

That’s one of the reasons the Sooners are so hard to beat. They don’t have an easy out in the lineup, and they can erupt out of nowhere and put a big inning together to put games away like they did against Clemson on Friday.

Now the Sooners get set to take on the Tigers in game two to earn another Women’s College World Series berth and set a new record for consecutive wins. But in order to do that, they’ll need to find the same “pass the bat” mentality that’s carried them all year long.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Saturday’s 9-2 win over Clemson.