Tag: Jordy Bahl

Tiare Jennings provides magical moment in Sooners win over Stanford

Oklahoma found the magic one more time in their 4-2 win over the Stanford Cardinal to advance to the Women’s College World Series championship.

At this point, what more is there to say about the Oklahoma Sooners? We are witnesses to one of the greatest runs in collegiate athletics of all time.

Their 4-2 win over Stanford was another feather in the cap of one of the greatest teams in the history of college softball. And they earned their win in a way that’s becoming all too commonplace for the Oklahoma Sooners: a clutch hit from one of their best players with two strikes in the at-bat.

They did it on Thursday against NiJaree Canady, and they did it again in the top of the ninth when Tiare Jennings took the 0-2 pitch to the gap in right-center to score two and put the Sooners ahead for good.

It was a moment of a player harnessing a short memory and making a play in the biggest moment of the game.

Tiare Jennings was 0-4 on the day and was 0-5 against Canady in the two games in the Women’s College World Series.

And that’s why Stanford head coach Jessica Allister elected to walk Jayda Coleman. The Cardinal had Jennings’ number, but this time Tiare answered the call.

“Tiare has this ability to get locked in like nobody I’ve ever seen as well,” Patty Gasso said after the win. “Her swing just looked kind of easy. It looked pretty free and easy and ran right into it at the right time.”

Oklahoma’s lineup creates lose-lose situations for opposing coaches. Pitch to Jayda Coleman, who hit a home run earlier in the game, or to Jennings, who had struggled against the Cardinal. In Jennings’ mind, walking Coleman didn’t change what she needed to do. She knew the Sooners were going to need her in that moment.

“I didn’t know they were going to do that to Jayda,” Jennings said. “It kind of didn’t matter to me. Either way, I was going to have to find a way to either get on or help my team as best I can… I was going to battle. But I was going to keep swinging and just do whatever I can to help the team.”

And just as she has on so many occasions in her three-year career with the Oklahoma Sooners, Tiare Jennings made the magic happen. And it was fitting that the two-RBI double set the record for most runs batted in in a Women’s College World Series.

On her 21st birthday, Jennings was the gift to Sooner Nation, giving Oklahoma the lift it needed to advance to their fourth-straight Women’s College World Series championship.

Oklahoma advances to WCWS Championship with 4-2 win over Stanford

After trailing 2-0 in the first, Nicole May and Jordy Bahl combined for eight scoreless innings and Tiare Jennings hit the go ahead double in the ninth to send Oklahoma to the WCWS Championship Series.

Oklahoma was tested once again and passed it with flying colors against the Stanford Cardinal, picking up their 51st win in a row, 4-2 in extra innings.

Nicole May and Alana Vawter got the start for their respective sides. Both pitched well before giving way to [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] and NiJaree Canady, who recreated their pitcher’s duel from Thursday, with the Sooners coming out on top once again.

Stanford started fast in the first inning. They had three hits in the inning, highlighted by Kylie Chung’s two-run home run to give Stanford a 2-0 lead right out of the gate. Each of the three hits came with two strikes in the at-bat.

Oklahoma then scored in the second inning thanks to a sac-fly by [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] that brought home [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] to make it 2-1 after two innings. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] then opened the third inning with a home run that tied it after three innings 2-2. It was Coleman’s 17th home run of the season and is tied for the team lead.

The game was a stalemate the rest of the way as Bahl and Canady put on a pitching clinic. The two underclassmen were fantastic. Even when they gave up a hit, found ways to work around trouble.

In the top of the ninth inning, Oklahoma finally found some separation when, after a leadoff double by [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] and an intentional walk to Coleman, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] doubled to right field to make it 4-2.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bahl made quick work of the Cardinal, retiring them in order, including two strikeouts.

After allowing two runs on three hits in the first inning, [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] rallied to retire the side in the next four frames against Stanford. It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that she allowed the fourth hit of the game. She collected three strikeouts and didn’t allow a walk in what turned out to be a clutch performance.

Bahl threw four innings, allowing four hits and collecting six strikeouts to pick up her 21st win of the tournament.

For Stanford, Vawter allowed four hits and two runs while also having two strikeouts. Canady was the star for the Cardinal. She allowed four hits and two runs on four hits and picked up six strikeouts.

Game 1 of the WCWS Championship will start on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast on ESPN. It’s Oklahoma’s fourth straight trip to the Women’s College World Series Championship and

The Sooners will face the winner of No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 4 Tennessee.

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Twitter Reacts to Sooners 4-2 win over Stanford to advance to WCWS Championship

The Sooners took the lead on Tiare Jennings two-run double in the top of the ninth and Jordy Bahl closed the door on Stanford to set Social Media on fire.

In the UFC, they say, “styles make fights.” That was certainly on display in the semifinal of the Women’s College World Series.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Stanford Cardinal recreated their pitchers’ duel from Thursday with another spectacular game, highlighting fantastic pitching throughout the extra-inning contest.

In the end, the Oklahoma Sooners came out on top, 4-2, to move on to their fourth consecutive Women’s College World Series championship.

Stanford jumped to an early 2-0 lead on a Kylie Chung two-run home run. Oklahoma picked up a run in the top of the second and third innings to tie it.

After that first inning, when Nicole May struggled to put away hitters when she had two strikes, she was lights out. May retired the side in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings before giving up a hit to lead off the sixth. Patty Gasso went to Jordy Bahl, who still hasn’t allowed a run in the Women’s College World Series.

Neither May or Bahl gave up a free pass in the game.

And that set the stage for another “Sooner Magic” moment.

Grace Lyons led off the top of the ninth with a double and advanced on a Rylie Boone groundout. With two outs, Stanford elected to walk Jayda Coleman to pitch to Tiare Jennings, who was 0-4.

Facing NiJaree Canady on her birthday, Jennings was down 0-2 and then knocked a line drive into the gap in right-center. Lyons and Coleman came around to give Oklahoma the 4-2 lead.

It was another incredibly clutch performance for this team, which always seems to rise to the occasion. It was another amazing win in the 2023 season, their 51st in a row. And now the Oklahoma Sooners are on their way to defend their back-to-back national championships.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 9 Stanford: how to watch, game preview, key players

The Oklahoma Sooners are just one win away from reaching the Women’s College World Series finals. Oklahoma got to this point after a pair of shutouts over Stanford and Tennessee to open the WCWS. Now, they get to face the Cardinal at least one more …

The Oklahoma Sooners are just one win away from reaching the Women’s College World Series finals.

Oklahoma got to this point after a pair of shutouts over Stanford and Tennessee to open the WCWS. Now, they get to face the Cardinal at least one more time on Monday. If the Sooners win, they’ll move on to face the winner of Florida State vs. Tennessee. An Oklahoma loss in game one sets up a winner-take-all scenario tomorrow afternoon.

The Seminoles are in the same “win, and you’re in” boat as the Sooners. If they can take care of business against a game Lady Vols squad, then Oklahoma and Florida State will play a rematch of the 2021 Women’s College World Series finals, which the Sooners won as the first of their back-to-back national championships.

There’s a strong chance that we could see a pitching rematch of Jordy Bahl vs. NiJaree Canady. The two young aces have been fantastic in the postseason, in particular in the Women’s College World Series.

Canady has allowed just one earned run in two starts and Bahl hasn’t allowed a run in the WCWS. If we are graced with another Bahl vs. Canady matchup, they’ll have to be locked in to recreate the magic we saw last Thursday.

To get you ready for the game, here’s a look at how to watch and key players to keep an eye on in this WCWS semifinal matchup.

Jordy Bahl flawless in Oklahoma Sooners 9-0 win over Tennessee Volunteers

Jordy Bahl allowed just one hit and one walk in Oklahoma’s dominating performance of the No. 4 seed Tennessee Volunteers.

There was no easing into this game for [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners as they took on the Tennessee Volunteers.

The first batter Bahl faced in the contest was arguably the biggest snub from the USA Softball National Player of the Year final three; centerfielder Kiki Milloy.

Milloy is hitting well over .400 on the season with 25 home runs and 56 RBIs.

In the opening at-bat, Bahl worked to a two-strike count before Milloy ripped a pitch down the third base line for a leadoff double. With a runner in scoring position after one batter, Jordy Bahl then locked in and went to work.

She retired the next nine hitters before surrendering a walk, only her second baserunner allowed.

It was Bahl’s second fabulous performance in a row, logging 3.2 innings pitched with one hit and one walk allowed to the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. Bahl’s now gone 13.2 innings pitched without allowing a run. She’s allowed just one run in her last seven appearances, spanning 27.2 innings.

Of course, Bahl was aided by some tremendous offense from the Sooners lineup. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] put Oklahoma on the board first with a three-run home run, and [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] plated a pair with a two-run bomb. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] provided a two-RBI triple.

In all, Oklahoma tagged Tennessee pitching for nine runs in the second and third innings of the game. With Bahl getting the start for the second consecutive day, it was important for the offense to jump on Tennessee early if only so Patty Gasso didn’t have to extend her ace any further than was necessary.

Now with Sunday off awaiting who will join the Sooners in the semifinals, Bahl should be well rested and available for Monday if [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] goes with the electric true sophomore for their semifinal matchup.

One thing’s for sure, it’s that Jordy Bahl has raised her game as the stakes have gotten higher here in the Women’s College World Series.

Bahl is now 20-1 on the season and has lowered her ERA to 1.00. Her swagger and her demeanor in the circle are infectious. With each strikeout and scoreless inning, Jordy Bahl is displaying why she’s one of the very best players in all of college softball.

Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners’ win over Tennessee.

Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s 9-0 run-rule win over the Tennessee Volunteers

The Oklahoma Sooners moved one win away from the Women’s College World Series Championship with their 9-0 run-rule win of Tennessee.

The Oklahoma Sooners put the pressure on early in their Women’s College World Series matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers. They were unable to come away with a run with the bases loaded in the first, but that set the stage for what would come later in the game.

Oklahoma scored nine runs in the second and third innings with home runs from Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen and a two-run triple from Rylie Boone.

Jordy Bahl allowed two base runners in 3 2/3 innings pitched, and Alex Storako, Kierston Deal and Nicole May combined to finish the job.

It was domination from start to finish, highlighting Oklahoma’s pitching depth and their ability to score runs in a hurry. It was a performance that has typified Sooners softball during its dominant three-year run. With the win, Oklahoma moved one win from the Women’s College World Series finals.

It was Jordy Bahl’s 20th win of the season. Jennings’ home run put her at 17 on the year, tied with Alyssa Brito for the team lead. Hansen’s home run gave her 13 in 2023.

Social media was loving Oklahoma’s 50th straight win that pushed them to 58-1 on the season. Here’s a look at some of the best social media reactions to Oklahoma’s incredible 9-0 win over Tennessee.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 4 Tennessee: how to watch, game preview, key players

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Tennessee Lady Vols on Saturday and here’s a look at how the two teams matchup in the WCWS.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team continued its dominant ways winning its 49th straight game after taking down the Stanford Cardinals on Thursday.

On Saturday, the Sooners will take on maybe its toughest matchup all season in the Lady Vols of Tennessee.

The Lady Vols are led by senior centerfielder Kiki Milloy who leads all WCWS players in home runs (25) and slugging percentage (.975). Combine that with her team-high .425 average and 1.548 OPS, and she could cause major problems for the Sooners’ pitching staff.

Milloy is arguably the best outfielder in the nation. That debate includes Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman. Coleman has a .422 average and a team-high 1.358 OPS. Her 16 home runs have her tied for 2nd on the team. But it’s her outstanding fielding that Sooner fans feel sets her apart.

This is also a revenge game for former Oklahoma OF and now Tennessee SS Mackenzie Donihoo. She’d love nothing more than to send her former team to an elimination game.

Here’s a look at the two sides as they get set for their game on Saturday.

Jordy Bahl rises to the occasion to carry Sooners to 2-0 win over Stanford

In a classic pitcher’s duel, Jordy Bahl delivered for the Oklahoma Sooners with an incredible complete game shutout performance vs. Stanford.

Watching Oklahoma Softball, one enters a game expecting to see offensive fireworks. In the Sooners’ 2-0 win over Stanford on Thursday, there were certainly fireworks, but in the form of a classic pitcher’s duel.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] vs. NiJaree Canady brought back memories of Pedro Martinez vs. Roger Clemens or Andy Pettite for John Smoltz in the late 90s and early 2000s.

It was the stuff legends are made of.

Bahl and Canady put together performances that created a drama-filled opener for the two sides in the Women’s College World Series.

Canady, who led the nation in ERA entering the game, held the Sooners scoreless for the first 4.2 innings of work. Even in the fifth inning, when the Sooners broke through, she had Alynah Torres, Rylie Boone, and Jayda Coleman all at two strikes, and each hitter came up with a hit.

It was the Sooners’ clutchness that helped them overcome a fantastic pitching performance from Canady. And it was Bahl’s toughness, resiliency, and strikeout prowess that kept the Cardinal off the board.

Jordy Bahl allowed multiple base runners in three innings but forced Stanford to leave seven runners on base. When things tightened up for the Sooners’ sophomore pitcher, she locked in and struck her way out of several jams.

Or, as Patty Gasso said after the game, “She was just a boss today.”

“She said it herself – she lives for those moments,” Gasso said. “It’s not a lie. It’s real. She loves the pressure, and that’s where she thrives the most.”

In the pressure cooker, Bahl put together an incredible performance. Her 11 strikeouts were the third-highest total in 2023 and the sixth time she’s reached double-digit strikeouts in her collegiate career.

The Oklahoma offense has carried the Sooners for much of the last three seasons. However, in the Sooners Women’s College World Series opener, Jordy Bahl carried the Sooners in an incredible performance to help Oklahoma advance.

“Bahl has done such things throughout her two seasons in Norman, but that doesn’t mean they should be taken for granted,” Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman wrote. “She still has a long way to go and is continuing to add to her legend, but what she did against Stanford is a reminder of just how talented she is. How tough she is, too.”

And the Sooners needed every bit of her toughness and grit to guide them through to a winner’s bracket showdown vs. the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners’ 2-0 win over Stanford.

Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s 2-0 win over Stanford

Jordy Bahl was clutch and Jayda Coleman came through with the big hit to set social media ablaze after the Sooners 2-0 win over Stanford.

The Oklahoma Sooners are going to get every team’s best, every time out. On Thursday in their Women’s College World Series opener, the Sooners were challenged by one of the best pitchers in softball and passed the test.

NiJaree Canady came into the game leading the nation in ERA, and it took the Sooners until the fifth inning to finally break through with their first and only runs of the game.

But it was the timely, late-inning heroics that have become commonplace for the Sooners that won the day. Jayda Coleman came through with a two-out RBI single that squirted through the left fielder to score another run to give the Sooners all the offense they needed on a day when Jordy Bahl was dealing.

Bahl earned the complete-game shutout, pitching around several situations with multiple runners on with her determination and strikeout prowess. She allowed five hits, one walk, and no runs. She struck out 11 Cardinal to pick up the win and move to 19-1 on the season.

With a record-setting crowd in attendance, the Sooners extended their all-tim win streak record to 49 games and will now play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday at 2 pm CT on ABC.

It was a great game between two fantastic pitchers, but the outcome had Sooner Nation buzzing.

Grace Lyons wins Gold Glove Award and 5 Sooners named NFCA All-Americans

Grace Lyons wins Gold Glove Award and five Sooners named NFCA first-team All-Americans.

The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the national awards in softball with five Sooners named NFCA first-team All-Americans. Additionally, Grace Lyons won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the best defensive player in Division I.

Grace Lyons is a five-year starter at shortstop for the Sooners and has been great in the infield throughout her career. She has started 256 games for the Sooners, all at shortstop, and holds a single-season career-best .975 fielding percentage in 2023. Lyons has helped turn 11 double plays and has committed just three errors during her fifth and final season with Oklahoma.

Lyons collects OU’s first Rawling Gold Glove Award in program history. The award was introduced to collegiate softball in 2022.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag], [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] were named NFCA first-team All-Americans. Brito was one of six unanimous selections to the first-team.

It’s the second year in a row that Oklahoma’s had five first-team All-Americans and the 10th season out of the last 11 where they’ve had three first-team All-Americans.

The Sooners (56-1) open their seventh straight Women’s College World Series Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CT versus No. 9-seed Stanford (45-13). They look to keep their record-breaking 48-game winning streak intact. 

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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 Jake on Twitter @jake_faigus