Tag: Cydney Sanders

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners national championship clinching win over Texas

A look at the best photos from Oklahoma’s 8-4 win over Texas to clinch their fourth-straight national championship.

The Oklahoma Sooners battled for five innings, trading leads with the Texas Longhorns, before pulling away in true OU fashion in the bottom of the sixth to secure their fourth straight national title.

In the win and over the course of the season, the Sooners showed resilience. They overcame a pair of deficits to beat Texas and gained big hits from [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] to erase those Longhorns leads.

It was the Sanders’ three-run double that put Oklahoma ahead, 5-3, for good in the fourth inning. And when Texas cut the lead to one in the sixth inning, the Sooners responded in a way that has become characteristic of this championship run.

Oklahoma used patience at the plate and timely hitting to set the stage for [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] to give the Sooners some insurance in the form of a four-run lead heading into the top of the seventh. And over the last four years, a four-run lead was an automatic win.

Four straight national titles is an incredible feat that may never be matched. Only one other time has a team had an opportunity to pull it off and that was more than 30 years ago.

What [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and her team have accomplished sets them apart as one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports. And we’ve been witnesses to its greatness.

Here are the best photos from Oklahoma’s 8-4 win over Texas to earn the national title.

Oklahoma Sooners beat No. 1 Texas 8-4, win 4th straight national championship

The Oklahoma Sooners made history as the first team to win four consecutive national championships with their 8-4 win over the Texas Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners made history in their 8-4 win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners won their fourth-straight national championship, and this senior class capped off the most successful run in softball history.

The Texas Longhorns got the scoring going in the top of the second on Kayden Henry’s RBI single. But [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to put the Sooners up one.

The Longhorns tied the game up in the third off of starter [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag]. [autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] came in with the bases loaded and kept the game tied 2-2. Texas then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Sooners began to take control. Consecutive singles by [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag], and [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] set the stage for [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag]. Sanders proceeded to launch a double to the right-center gap to clear the bases and put Oklahoma up 5-3.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] took over in the fifth and had a dominant outing with a 1-2-3 inning and got two outs in the sixth before [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] came in with runners on second and third. Maxwell induced a ground ball by Mia Scott, and a Texas run scored to make it 5-4. But Scott got caught off the bag, and [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] flipped the ball to Sanders to get the final out of the inning and leave a runner stranded on third.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sooners ran away from the Longhorns. Boone earned a one-out single, Sanders walked, and Hodge was hit by a pitch to load the bases. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] added to the Sooners lead with an RBI single through the right side of the infield. With two outs in the inning, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] continued her incredible postseason with a two-RBI single to put Oklahoma up 8-4.

In the top of the seventh, Maxwell went up against the heart of the Texas lineup. Maxwell got Viviana Martinez to fly out and struck out Big 12 Player of the Year Reese Atwood before getting Katie Stewart to ground out to [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], who made a perfect throw over to Sanders to get the final out and send the Sooners into the record books.

Maxwell earned her second save of the NCAA Tournament and earned Most Outstanding Player, going 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to the national championship.

It’s the Sooners’ eighth national title and their seventh since 2013. With four straight national titles, Oklahoma is the only program to accomplish this feat. The Sooners move into a tie for second with the Arizona Wildcats for most national titles.

Seniors [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] will go down as the most decorated class in softball history, with four national championships in their career.

With eight national titles, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] is now tied for the most in the history of the sport.

It was an incredible run for the Oklahoma Sooners, who lost just one game during the postseason, dating back to their Big 12 tournament title run. In the two games against Texas the Sooners outscored their Red River Rivals 16-7 to win the national title.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 6-5 extra-inning win over Florida

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 6-5 walk-off win over the Florida Gators in extra innings.

The Oklahoma Sooners needed all the magic they could muster in their 6-5 extra-inning win over the Florida Gators.

True freshman [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] had a huge day, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Her final RBI of the day tied the game at five after driving in [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag]. Hodge was 2-for-4 and had the double that set up Parker’s game-tying RBI. [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], who hit just her second home run since April 16, came through with a two-run bomb to pull the Sooners within one.

And then it was [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] providing the extra-inning heroics with her walk-off home run. It was Coleman’s 13th home run of the season and the first time Oklahoma had a walk-off home run in the Women’s College World Series since 2016, according to ESPN.

And it was all the more possible because [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] rebounded from a sluggish start. Maxwell allowed five runs, all via home run, in the first three innings. She showed incredible toughness to then hold the Florida Gators scoreless over the final five innings.

Now, the Sooners move on to the championship series, where the Texas Longhorns await. Oklahoma’s looking for its fourth-straight national title.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Florida Gators in extra innings.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners walk-off win over the Florida Gators

Oklahoma Sooners beat Florida 6-5 on walk-off home run

The Oklahoma Sooners rallied to beat the Florida Gators 6-5 in extra innings on Jayda Coleman’s walk-off home run.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators put on a power display in their semifinal elimination game, but it was the Oklahoma Sooners who came out on top 6-5 on a walk-off home run from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] in the bottom of the eighth inning.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] got the start for the Sooners and gave up two run home runs in the first and second inning and a solo shot in the third. But then she held the Gators scoreless for the remainder of the game to keep the Sooners in the game.

After the two-run homer allowed in the first, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] came through with a two-run bomb of her own to tie the game. Oklahoma didn’t score again until the fourth inning when [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] added her own two-run bomb to put the Sooners down one.

Despite opportunities in the fifth inning to tie the game, Oklahoma was held at bay and Maxwell continued to battle, keeping Florida from cashing in with runners on in the top of the sixth inning.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] reached on a one-out double. Parker came up clutch again with an RBI single to tie the game.

Oklahoma had a chance to end it in the seventh after [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag]’s double, but the Sooners left her stranded.

Maxwell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth and then Jayda Coleman came through with the heroics to lead off the bottom of the inning with a home run to end the game. The home run was Coleman’s 13th of the season and arguably the most important of her career.

Prior to Coleman’s walk-off home run, it was a day for Ella Parker and unsung heroes Avery Hodge and Cydney Sanders. But now the most decorated group of seniors in softball history has a chance to add another title to their already illustrious career.

It was a resilient effort for Maxwell, who recorded eight strikeouts in her eight innings of work. She battled throughout, showing off her veteran mettle and keeping the Sooners in the game. It was her 22nd win of the season.

Now, the Oklahoma Sooners move on to face the Texas Longhorns in the championship series. It’s a rematch of the series two years ago. The two sides split four games in 2024, with the Sooners winning in the Big 12 tournament championship.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 9-1 WCWS win over Duke

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 9-1 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Women’s College World Series.

If you’re a fan of one of the seven teams not named the Oklahoma Sooners, there was a time you felt pretty good about your team’s chances to win it all in 2024. Well, that time may have passed after Oklahoma’s 9-1 run-rule win over the Duke Blue Devils to open the Women’s College World Series.

In Duke, the Sooners faced the team with the best ERA and opponents’ batting average of the eight team field. And Oklahoma had 11 hits, three walks, and nine runs in the win.

The Sooners earned four extra-base hits, led by a trio of two-run homers from [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag]. Hansen’s homer was the sixth WCWS of her career, moving her into third all-time. As she’s done over and over again, Hansen continues to assert herself as one of the best postseason performers of all-time.

In the win, the Sooners move on to face the UCLA Bruins on Saturday in the winner’s bracket.

Fantastic photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 4-2 win over Florida State

Look back at the Oklahoma Sooners thrilling win over Florida State with these fantastic photos.

In their 4-2 win over the Florida State Seminoles, the Oklahoma Sooners extended their record NCAA Tournament winning streak to 18 games. It’s a run that dates back two postseasons and doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down anytime soon.

They’ve had an air of inevitability to them over the last four years that creates a level of anticipation for the viewer. Whether in person or on the television, those who watch Oklahoma Sooners softball come to expect to see something remarkable. In the win over the Seminoles that punched their ticket to the Women’s College World Series, the Sooners once again put together a remarkable performance.

From Jayda Coleman’s robbery of Florida State power hitter Jaysoni Beachum to Cydney Sanders’ full layout in foul territory an inning later and Kierston Deal’s diving attempt earlier in the game, the Sooners put it all on the line to secure the win.

With it, they clinched their eighth consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series and a chance to make history as the first team ever to win four straight national championships.

The Women’s College World Series will get underway at the newly dubbed Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 30.

Relive the Sooners huge win over the Florida State Seminoles with these fantastic photos.

Oklahoma Sooners run-rule Seminoles to open Norman Super Regional

Powered by Alyssa Brito’s two home runs, the Oklahoma Sooners beat Florida State 11-3 to take game one of their Super Regional matchup.

The Oklahoma Sooners came to play in their super regional opener against Florida State, earning an 11-3 walk-off run-rule win in five innings on Thursday evening.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] worked around a bases loaded jam in the first inning against the Seminoles and then one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first to help the Sooners strike first.

With one out, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] took the 1-0 offering out of the park for her 22nd home run of the season and third in four NCAA tournament games. Oklahoma led 1-0 after one inning.

Maxwell settled in with a 1-2-3 second and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] added to the lead with a two-strike double to bring in [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] for a 2-0 advantage through two innings.

In the top of the third, Maxwell’s control got away from her a bit as she hit her second batter of the game and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with just one out. Florida State cashed in with a two-run single from Devyn Flaherty to tie the game at two.

But the Sooners responded as only they know how in the bottom of the inning. [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] hit the first of two home runs to regain the lead for Oklahoma. Then OU took advantage of a FSU error to plate two more and retake control of the game 5-2.

But they weren’t anywhere close to done. In the bottom of the fourth, the Sooners pulled away completely. Brito hit her second home run of the day, this time a two-run shot after [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag]’s one out single.

[autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] singled ahead of Kinzie Hansen, who hit her 10th home run of the season, which made it 9-2. [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] capped off the scoring with an RBI single to give Oklahoma a commanding 10-2 lead and put the run rule in effect heading into the fifth.

Florida State was able to scratch out a run in the top half of the inning. But Seminoles pitching walked four batters in the bottom of the fifth and the Sooners took home the 11-3 win in walk-off fashion.

It was a rough outing for Maxwell, but she battled to give the Sooners offense a chance to take control of the game. She gave up three runs on four hits and six walks in an uncharacteristic performance for the Sooners ace.

Alyssa Brito led the way at the plate with a 3-for-3 day with two home runs and three RBIs. The home runs were her first since April 26 against UCF. She’s now up to 18 homers on the season with 59 RBIs.

Oklahoma and Florida State will play game two of the series on Friday night at 7 p.m. CT. Broadcast information is still to be determined. The Sooners are now one win away from reaching the Women’s College World Series for the eighth time and fourth straight season.

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Sooners open series with 8-0 run-rule win over the Houston Cougars

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a hot start in their series opener against the Houston Cougars, and Kelly Maxwell pitched another gem to lead Oklahoma to an 8-0 run-rule win in walk-off fashion. Taking on a Houston team that has the second-lowest …

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a hot start in their series opener against the Houston Cougars, and [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] pitched another gem to lead Oklahoma to an 8-0 run-rule win in walk-off fashion.

Taking on a Houston team that has the second-lowest batting average and the highest ERA in Big 12 play, the Sooners struck early.

Maxwell recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first, and the Sooners’ offense quickly went to work in the bottom half of the inning.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] walked to lead off the game and moved to third on a two-out single by [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag]. [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] put OU on the board first with a three-run home run. It was Torres’ eighth home run of the season and part of a 2-for-2 evening with four RBIs and two runs scored.

Oklahoma had opportunities with runners on in the second but were unable to capitalize. The Sooners put pressure on Houston again in the third with the bases loaded and nobody out. All they could muster was one run on a fielder’s choice from [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] to make it 4-0.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] led off the fourth with a walk and moved to third on Hansen’s base hit. Torres picked up her fourth RBI of the game on a grounder to the pitcher, scoring Jennings from third to make it 5-0. After a fielder’s choice put Hansen on third, the Sooners’ star catcher stole home to make it 6-0 and put the Sooners in complete control.

With the way Maxwell was pitching, Houston had little hope at that point. She threw five innings, allowing two hits and three walks, and recorded five strikeouts. Maxwell didn’t allow a runner past second base in a performance that helped the Sooners ace move to 14-1 on the season. The Sooners defense picked her up with double plays in the second and third innings.

Not satisfied, the Sooners continued to pour the offense on in the sixth inning. Kinzie Hansen led off with a single and advanced to third on Avery Hodge’s single to centerfield. [autotag]Quincee Lilio[/autotag] walked to load the bases, and Sanders walked for the 34th time in 2024 to drive in a run and make it 7-0 Sooners. With two outs in the inning and the Cougars hoping to play all seven, [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] walked it off with a RBI single to secure the Sooners win.

After her 10-game hitting streak was snapped against Tulsa, Kinzie Hansen responded with a 3-for-4 night to help lead the way at the plate. Coleman, Jennings, Torres, and [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] each had two hits on the night. Along with Hansen, Jennings and Coleman also reached base three times, each earning a walk to go along with their two-hit nights.

With the victory, Oklahoma improved to 40-4 on the season and 16-3 in Big 12 play. They remain one game ahead of the Texas Longhorns and two games ahead of Oklahoma State in the Big 12 regular season title race.

The Sooners are back in action for game two of the series on Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT. Oklahoma will close the series with Houston on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Both games can be seen on ESPN+.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners hang on to beat Texas 5-2 in series opener

Kelly Maxwell was phenomenal through six innings, and Jayda Coleman provided the difference at the plate in the Oklahoma Sooners 5-2 win over Texas.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] was phenomenal through six innings, and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]’s three-run homer proved to be the difference in the Sooners’ 5-2 win over the Texas Longhorns.

In a highly-anticipated top-five matchup, the game lived up to the billing as Maxwell and Longhorns starter Mac Morgan battled to keep the score low.

The Sooners got things going in the third inning. However, a heads-up challenge from Texas head coach Mike White and solid defensive positioning from the Horns prevented Oklahoma from creating a bigger inning.

After her single moved Maya Bland to third, Kinzie Hansen was called out for leaving the base early on a [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] single, which wiped Oklahoma’s first run off the board and put Bland back on third. Instead of first and third and nobody out, the Sooners gave up an out with Hansen’s aggressiveness.

It ultimately didn’t matter as the Sooners cashed in, but the inning could have been bigger.

But Boone came through with one out, and Jayda Coleman’s drive to left could have gone for extra bases, but White had his team playing the line to take the double away, and [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] was forced to hold Boone at third. Coleman drove in Bland to put the Sooners on the board. On the next at-bat, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] drove in Boone to make it 2-0.

The Sooners then got things going again in the fifth, again on a rally started by the back half of the order.

In the fifth, Hansen looked to drive a double down the line, but another timely challenge from White ruled that the ball was foul as it went past third base. Hansen then grounded into a fielder’s choice. Rylie Boone singled on a chopper to put two on with one out for the reigning Big 12 and National Player of the Week, Jayda Coleman.

Facing a 2-2 count, Coleman launched a ball to right field for a three-run home run to put Oklahoma up 5-0.

More: By the Numbers: No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns

Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh when Joley Mitchell singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. One of the best hitters in the nation, Reese Atwood, doubled down the left field line to score Mitchell and get the Longhorns on the board. Leighanne Goode walked and Viviana Martinez moved Adayah Wallace to third on a fielder’s choice. Ashton Maloney’s sacrifice fly scored Wallace to make it 5-2 and after a walk to Victoria Hunter, freshman Katie Stewart came up to the plate as the tying run with two outs.

The broadcast team mentioned during her at bat that in pregame batting practice, Stewart hit a ball over the fence and into the apartments beyond the stadium, breaking a window. With that kind of power, Texas was one swing away from tying the ball game. Stewart battled to a full count and Kelly Maxwell induced a groundball to [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to close out the game and secure the win.

The Texas Longhorns offense came into this game sixth in the nation in scoring and second in batting average. Maxwell held them to two runs on three hits, three walks and recorded 10 strikeouts. At one point in time, Maxwell had struck out 7 of the 11 Longhorns batters that she’d faced.

After hitting .857 last weekend against Kansas, Coleman was the hero in this one, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Rylie Boone was the only other Sooners hitter with multiple hits on an evening where the vaunted Sooners lineup only collected seven hits. [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] walked twice

The win moved Oklahoma to 35-1 on the season and 13-0 in Big 12 play. The Sooners are now four games up on Texas in the regular season conference title race. Oklahoma State beat Houston to stay within three games.

It was the Sooners ninth win in a row over the Longhorns and they extended their nation leading win streak to 17 games.

Oklahoma and Texas get back at it on Saturday for game two of the Red River Rivalry series in Austin. That game can be seen on ESPN with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns

More: Sooners, Blue Devils top consensus top 25 rankings for week 8

‘Jayda leads the way’: Patty Gasso on her team taking it to another level

Speaking of her team’s performance of late, Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said, “Jayda leads the way.”

It seems like every single week, we are talking about a different player having a huge series for the Oklahoma Sooners. Over the last four weeks [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] were named Big 12 Player of the Week. Jennings and Coleman also won NFCA National Player of the Week for their efforts.

Last weekend, Coleman put on a show. The Sooners centerfielder, had six hits in seven at-bats in the three games for an .857 batting average. Coleman had three home runs, six RBIs, seven walks, and eight runs scored. She now leads the Sooners with a .466 batting average, walks with 30, and giving her an on-base percentage at .589.

Patty Gasso spoke about how well Coleman is playing of late. “I feel like the bigness of the season is starting to show up right now,” Gasso said. “They get that. So, they want to be at their best. All of them do. Jayda leads the way. She’s a good leader by example and play. Tiare (Jennings) is really swinging really well. (Alyssa) Brito always is swinging really well. It was just very timely and very clutch. That’s what you are going to have to have when you go to Texas.”

It helps that the Sooners have veterans like Coleman, Jennings, and Brito, because they come through in the big moments. Batting 1-2-3 in the Sooners order puts pressure on opposing pitchers right out of the gate. With the best leadoff hitter in the game coming on strong the last several weeks, the Sooners have gotten off to fast starts. And there’s no indication it’ll slow down anytime soon.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas

More: By the Numbers: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.