Tag: 2023 Super Regionals

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.

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.

 

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 16 Clemson: how to watch, weekend preview, key players

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 16 Clemson: how to watch, weekend preview, key players. Can Clemson end the Oklahoma incredible run?

Oklahoma (54-1) has been the most dominant team in softball this year. The Sooners are riding a 46-game winning streak and can break the record for the longest winning streak in college softball this weekend.

Oklahoma’s offense exploded in the Norman Regional, outscoring its opponents 38-3. None of the games against Hofstra, Missouri and California was remotely close.

Clemson got here after it beat UNC Greensboro, 17-2, in the opener before beating Auburn, 7-0, to advance to the regional finals. In the final, Auburn forced a winner-take-all game with a 5-2 win, but the Clemson Tigers bounced back to advance with a 5-1 win.

[lawrence-related id=84594]

NCAA Tournament super regionals set after a wild weekend of college softball

A look at the super regional matchups, which includes the Oklahoma Sooners welcoming the Clemson Tigers to Norman.

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was fantastic. There were a pair of big-time upsets, fantastic back-and-forth action and most of the top softball teams advanced to what should be a great slate of super regional action next weekend.

There were big offensive outbursts and even a perfect game in a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday afternoon that highlighted a fabulous weekend for the sport of collegiate softball.

Three of the top 16 went home early. No. 2 UCLA, No. 10 LSU, and No. 11 Arkansas were unable to make home field hold up, and were sent home early. UCLA didn’t even get a chance to play Los Angeles Regional winner San Diego State because the Bruins were beaten by Grand Canyon and Liberty before the regional final.

With one more leg before the Women’s College World Series, here’s a look at each of the super regionals and what those teams had to do to advance.