Tag: Cydney Sanders

Oklahoma beats Florida State 3-1 for their third straight national championship

The Oklahoma Sooners cap off another dominant season with a 3-1 win to claim their third-straight national championship.

Oklahoma capped off a historic season with a 3-1 win over Florida State to win the national championship for a third straight season. The Sooners have now won seven national championships and six in the last ten years.

Alex Storako and Kathryn Sandercock were battling back and forth through the first three innings of the game. Storako got into some trouble in the third inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Kalei Harding drove a ball to deep center field, where Jayda Coleman tracked it down and robbed Florida State of a three-run home run.

Florida State got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Mack Leonard home run that made it 1-0 in favor of the Seminoles.

Oklahoma quickly responded in the top of the fifth inning with back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons, which made it 2-1 in favor of the Sooners. Jordy Bahl provided herself an insurance run in the top of the sixth to put Oklahoma up 3-1 on Alynah Torres’ single.

From their, it was all Jordy Bahl, who retired all nine batters she faced in what was another sensational performance for the sophomore pitcher. Bahl was named Most Outstanding Player of the Women’s College World Series. In the NCAA tournament, she was 7-0 and allowed just one run, back in the super regionals vs. Clemson. In Oklahoma City, Bahl was flawless, going 4-0 and allowing no runs across four appearances, which included a pair of complete game shutouts.

Storkao was really good for the Sooners in the first four innings of the game. She allowed three hits, one run, and recorded two strikeouts.

Oklahoma finished the season 61-1 as the winningest team in college softball history. They extended their all-time win streak record to 53 games and became just the second team in softball history to win three national titles in a row. There appear to be no signs of this run ending anytime soon. Patty Gasso has created a dynasty.

All season long, the Oklahoma Sooners created magic. In the circle, in the field, and at the plate. This national title-clinching win over Florida State had memorable moments in every phase of the game.

Simply put, Patty Gasso and her team rose to the occasion every time they faced adversity and wouldn’t be denied.

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Twitter reacts to Oklahoma’s win over Florida State and 3rd straight national championship

Twitter reacts to Oklahoma’s win over Florida State to complete the national championship three-peat.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the back-to-back-to-back national champions. Oklahoma clinched its third straight national title, sixth in the last decade and seventh overall with a 3-1 win over Florida State on Thursday night.

It was another in a long line of incredibly clutch performances for what is being deemed the greatest softball team in the history of the sport. With their 61-1 record, the Sooners are the winningest team in the sport’s history. They finished the season on a 53-game winning streak and became the first program to score 500 runs in three straight seasons.

Their ace, Jordy Bahl, went 4-0 in the Women’s College World Series, and didn’t allow a run in the effort. She threw two shutouts, including in Game 1, and had two relief appearances of at least three innings that led to Sooners wins. For her effort, she was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The national title win was the culmination of a season filled with pressure-packed moments and incredible comebacks during their dominant run.

These Oklahoma Sooners somehow found a way to raise the bar yet again for the college softball world. They found a way to still amaze a fan base that has been in awe for years at what Patty Gasso’s program is capable of.

And in the win that clinched their third straight national title, the Sooners received a strong performance from Alex Storako, an incredible defensive play from Jayda Coleman, back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons and another dominant performance from ace Jordy Bahl.

From the first pitch to the final out, Twitter was buzzing, but it reached a fever pitch when Oklahoma clinched their third straight national title.

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.

 

Social media reacts to Sooners 9-2 record-tying win over Clemson

The Oklahoma Sooners erupted for five runs in the fifth with a grand slam from Haley Lee and a home run from Alyssa Brito and social media was loving it.

Through the first three innings, Clemson starter and USA Softball National Player of the Year Finalist [autotag]Valerie Cagle[/autotag] held the Oklahoma Sooners to one hit.

Oklahoma manufactured a couple of runs, but nothing was coming easy at the plate. Then Cydney Sanders launched a two-run home run to give Oklahoma breathing room as Clemson threatened in each of the Tigers’ at-bats.

With the 4-0 lead after four, Clemson responded with a pair of runs, taking advantage of a throwing error and using some timely hitting to make it 4-2. That’s when the Sooners bats woke up.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] reached first on a beautiful bunt single followed by base hits from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]. Then [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] came to the plate and mashed a grand slam for her 13th home run of the season. And if that wasn’t enough, Alyssa Brito followed Lee with a solo shot of her own for home run No. 15 of the season to make it 9-2.

And in a few swings of the bat, the Sooners went from a team that was facing a serious challenge to cruising to victory.

With the win, the Sooners have tied the all-time record with their 47th consecutive win.

Oklahoma Sooners advance to super regionals with 16-3 win over Cal

The Oklahoma Sooners advance to the super regional round of the NCAA tournament after a 16-3 win over California.

Oklahoma’s offense got going right out of the gate and didn’t look back as they dominated the California Golden Bears 16-3 in five innings. The Sooners hit six home runs in the game, extending their winning streak to 46 games.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] got the scoring going in the first inning when she launched a homer to make it 1-0. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] doubled, and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] hit a home run to put Oklahoma up 3-0. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] singled, and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] smashed a home run to extend the lead to 5-0. Jocelyn Erickson went back-to-back with Sanders with a solo shot to put the Sooners up 6-0 in the top of the first.

Jennings hit her second home run of the day in the top of the second to give the Sooners a 7-0 lead.

They kept the scoring going in the third inning. Rylie Boone brought in Hansen on an RBI single to make it 8-0 and put Oklahoma in run-rule territory. Coleman doubled to score Grace Lyons on an RBI, which made it 9-0. Jennings drove a double of her own to score Boone and Coleman and put the Sooners well out in front 11-0. Not to be outdone by Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito hammered her second home run of the day, a three-run shot to give Oklahoma a 14-0 lead after three.

Cal scored three runs on three hits in the third after loading the bases. Alex Storako wasn’t her sharp self, and Nicole May came in to limit the damage.

In the fourth inning, Grace Lyons hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Alynah Torres to make the score 15-3. Quincee Lilio then singled to right center and to score Jocelyn Erickson to extend the lead 16-3.

May was able to get the shutdown inning in the fourth inning before giving way to Kierston Deal who pitched a scoreless fifth.

Storako allowed five hits and three runs in 2.2 innings pitched. May and Deal combined to throw three innings of perfect ball, keeping the Golden Bears off the base paths once May entered the game.

Tiare Jennings went 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Brito was 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. Haley Lee, Kinzie Hansen, and Jocelyn Erickson each had multi-hit games for the Sooners.

Oklahoma will now welcome Clemson for their three-game series in the super regional after the Tigers beat Auburn in a winner-take-all game Sunday afternoon. The Sooners’ 13 straight super regional appearances is the longest own the longest streak in the nation

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Jordy Bahl continues dominant run in regional performance against Missouri

Jordy Bahl has been on an incredible run over the last two months and that continued with her one-hit performance against Missouri.

Jordy Bahl’s been on a roll for two months. After giving up a pair of runs in two innings against Mississippi State on March 13, Bahl’s given up just four runs in her last 71.3 innings pitched.

That’s good for a 0.50 ERA over the last two months. She’s given up runs in just two appearances in that stretch; three against Oklahoma State and one against Texas. Both were complete game performances.

She was noticeably absent from the USA Softball National Player of the Year top three finalists. Much of that is due to the way she started the season. However, Bahl turned it on around the middle of the season and has been on fire since.

And she was again on Saturday, allowing one hit and a walk over five innings. She recorded seven strikeouts to completely shut down the Missouri Tigers offense. The two base runners she allowed were both in the fourth inning. With two on and one out, Bahl was able to get out of the jam with a ground out to third and a strikeout to end the inning. She retired the side in the other four innings she pitched.

The Oklahoma Sooners have boasted the best offensive in college softball for years now. But in 2023, they found balance by also rolling into the circle the best pitching staff in college softball. Nicole May and Alex Storako have been a huge part of that, but the run that Jordy Bahl has been on over the last two months has been remarkable.

As the Sooners look to win their third-straight national championship, this looks like the most balanced team they’ve had, and that’s because they have one of the best pitchers in college softball.

Though they didn’t need her to turn out the lights on the Tigers, Jordy Bahl put forth another masterful performance from the circle.

Here’s a look at some of the best images from Oklahoma’s 11-0 win over Missouri.

Jordy Bahl preys on the Tigers; Oklahoma beats Missouri 11-0

Jordy Bahl preys on the Missouri Tigers, allowing one hit and recording seven strikeouts in five innings of Oklahoma’s 11-0 win.

Oklahoma beat Missouri 11-0 to stay unbeaten in the Norman Regional. Oklahoma dominated the Tigers from start to finish thanks to a healthy combination of its offense and a strong performance from Jordy Bahl.

The Sooners got the scoring started as Jayda Coleman and Haley Lee reached base to put immediate pressure on the Tigers. After a double-steal, Cydney Sanders then singled, bringing in both baserunners to give Oklahoma a 2-0 lead.

The top of the order struck again in the top of the third. Coleman led off with a walk, and Lee drove her in with a double. Kinzie Hansen stepped up to the plate and launched a two-run home run to make it 5-0 after three.

The only thing notable in the fourth inning was Missouri’s lone hit of the game. Jordy Bahl, who was cruising, worked around the two-on, one-out situation with a fielder’s choice and a strikeout to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Sooners got extended their lead thanks to the base running of Haley Lee. Lee advanced to second on Kinzie Hansen’s fielder’s choice and then took third and home on a pair of wild pitches from  Missouri pitcher Megan Shumacher. Cydney Sanders then hit her sixth home run of the season to make it 7-0.

In the sixth inning, Tiare Jennings put the Sooners in run-rule territory with an sacrifice fly, but the Sooners went hunting for more. Quincee Lilio walked with the bases loaded and two outs to make it 9-0. Super senior Grace Green did what she does best, coming through in a pinch-hit situation with a pair of RBIs for an 11-0 lead.

Jordy Bahl got the start for the Sooners and was nothing short of dominant. She retired Missouri’s first nine batters. Bahl recorded seven strikeouts and allowed one hit in five innings pitched. The Big 12 first-team selection allowed just two base runners on the afternoon to improve to 16-1 on the season and lower her ERA to 1.10.

Kierston Deal relieved Bahl in the sixth and struck out two before a popup ended the game.

Jayda Coleman walked three times and scored each time she reached base. Haley Lee was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Cydney Sanders had a 2-for-3 day and Kinzie Hansen now has six RBIs in the NCAA tournament.

The Sooners have now outscored their Norman Regional opponents 22-0 and the pitching staff has allowed just two hits.

Now Oklahoma gets to breathe a bit as they wait to see who emerges from the loser’s bracket. Missouri will take on the winner of California vs. Hofstra Saturday night to see who gets to play the Sooners. The Sooners can wrap up the Norman Regional starting at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday.

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Sooners depth shines in 6-1 win over the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners depth stepped up when the top of the order was held in check by the Texas Longhorns, and that was the difference in their Big 12 title win over the Texas Longhorns.

Some days, the opposition just gets the better of your best players. That’s sort of what happened on Saturday in Oklahoma City when the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 title game.

Texas held [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] to an 0-12 day combined. The difference in the 6-1 win was the play of Haley Lee, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, Nicole May, and Jordy Bahl.

So when I say “sort of,” what I mean is the Sooners have a lot of “best players.”

Their lineup is littered with some of the best players in the country. Players that would be the best player on 99% of teams in the country. And Oklahoma needed them to come through.

Haley Lee got the scoring going with a home run and scored a few innings later. Hansen, Boone, and Brito had RBIs as well. Bahl showed off her skills in the circle, at the plate, and on the base paths helping keep the Texas bats at bay and scoring a pair of runs with elite baserunning.

We know of Bahl’s pitching ability, but because she’s an exceptional athlete, she impacts the game in every facet.

And that’s why Oklahoma is so difficult to beat. Texas held Coleman and Jennings to zero hits. They are two of the best players in the nation and National Player of the Year Finalists. And it didn’t matter because Patty Gasso has assembled a roster that can beat you up and down the order.

Hansen’s been one of the best players on the roster this year. Her ability at the plate has given Oklahoma another hitter that can change a game with one swing of the bat. Her work behind the player has been instrumental in helping the Sooners nation-best team ERA.

Rylie Boone could be the leadoff hitter for 99% of teams across the country, and she helps set the table for Coleman and Jennings at the back of the order. Her hitting ability and speed threaten teams every time she comes to the plate.

And then there’s Alyssa Brito, a Big 12 all-conference team snub. She’s continued to be a big-time player for the Sooners and came through in a big moment with her RBI double.

Haley Lee hadn’t had a multi-hit game since April 8 and with her two-hit performance against Texas, she’s now had a pair of hits in back-to-back games for the first time since March 10.

The Oklahoma Sooners are an incredibly difficult team to beat because they have a dangerous lineup 1-9, and their bench can come through in a pinch as well. It matters that they have some of the best players in the game, but it also matters that this team has the best depth in the game.

And it’s that depth that’s going to help them in their pursuit of a third-straight national title.

Oklahoma Sooners off to roaring postseason start with 9-0 win over Iowa State

Oklahoma’s offense erupted for nine runs in the first three innings and Alex Storako, Kierston Deal, and Jordy Bahl combined to allow 1 hit in the Sooners 9-0 win over Iowa State.

It didn’t take long for the Oklahoma Sooners to announce their presence in the Big 12 championships with a 9-0 run-rule win over the Iowa State Cyclones.

[autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] made quick work of the Cyclones in the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning, forcing a trio of groundouts to retire the side.

Then the Sooners’ bats opened strongly with a leadoff double from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], who advanced to third on a wild pitch. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] walked and stole second, and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] walked to load the bases.

[autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]’ RBI single made it 1-0. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing Jennings out at home. Then [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] came through with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Lee attempted to score from first and was initially ruled safe at the plate, but replay review overturned the call.

Storako avoided trouble in the second when she issued back-to-back walks to open the frame by retiring the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cyclones off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the second, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] walked with one out. After a Coleman fly out to left, Boone advanced to second on a passed ball. Jennings drove Boone in to make it 4-0, and Sanders drew her second walk of the day. That’s when the captain put the game out of reach.

With two on and two out, Grace Lyons took the first pitch from Ellie Spelhaug to deep right center for a three-run home run to make the score 7-0.

Oklahoma kept the scoring going in the bottom of the third to put the game in run-rule territory when Jayda Coleman launched her team-leading 14th home run of the season to make it 9-0.

Coleman ended the day 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Lyons was 2-for-2 with four RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

Storako threw three innings, allowing no hits and two walks. She recorded three strikeouts before giving way to [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag]. Deal, a true freshman, threw 1.1 innings, allowing one hit, before Jordy Bahl closed out the win with a pair of strikeouts in 0.2 innings.

The Oklahoma Sooners (50-1) have won 42 in a row. Oklahoma awaits the winner of the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks in the other semifinal game. The Sooners swept both opponents in Big 12 play.

Texas reached the semifinal overcoming a four-run deficit against Texas Tech and the Jayhawks beat the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a game that required two days to play due to inclement weather.

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Sooners pitching staff leads the way in Oklahoma’s Bedlam sweep

Oklahoma’s pitching staff came up big in the Bedlam sweep, allowing just six runs to a top 20 scoring offense in Oklahoma State.

With the regular season over, the Oklahoma Sooners finished No. 1 in scoring and ERA in 2023. An incredible feat for the most balanced and best team in college softball. We’re used to the Sooners offense being something special, but this year, Oklahoma’s pitching rotation has carried its fair share of the load as well.

Oklahoma State came into the series with the No. 8 team batting average and the No. 17 scoring offense, and the Sooners effectively shut them down.

In the series sweep, the Sooners’ pitching staff showed out. They allowed just six runs on the weekend against a top-20 scoring offense and just one home run. In the three games, Patty Gasso went four deep, utilizing Jordy Bahl, Nicole May, Alex Storako, and true freshman Kierston Deal.

The starters threw 19.2 of a possible 21 innings, and Deal provided 1.1 innings of work in Oklahoma’s come-from-behind win on Saturday evening. We’ve known what Oklahoma’s three primary starters were capable of, but Deal’s performance against the Cowgirls provided a glimpse of just how dangerous the Sooners’ pitching staff will be in tournament play.

When most teams will shorten their rotation of pitchers, the Oklahoma Sooners will be able to utilize four to great effect in Big 12 and NCAA tournament play.

This week, Oklahoma will play at most two games. That gives Gasso plenty of options along the way as they seek a Big 12 tournament title. When they get into regionals, super regionals, and the Women’s College World Series, nobody is set up as well as the Oklahoma Sooners because of their deep pitching staff.

For the Sooners to win their third-consecutive national championship, they’ll need the pitching staff to continue to be as good as they’ve been all season long. With a deep trio of starting pitchers and an effective true freshman that can provide a spot start or a relief appearance, Oklahoma will be incredibly difficult to beat in May and June.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Oklahoma’s sweep of Oklahoma State in Bedlam.