Tag: Nicole May

Oklahoma’s senior class pulled off the unthinkable with four-peat

Five of Oklahoma’s seniors earned four national title during their time with the Sooners. An absolutely unbelievable run.

Winning one championship in sports is difficult. Winning two straight puts you in the history books forever. Winning three in a row means you’re a legend. But winning four straight? That’s unheard of in team sports, only being accomplished by a small handful of times throughout history.

“People say, ‘Let’s go win one,’” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “You’re like, ‘OK.’ It’s not like that. It’s very difficult. Everything has to go right. The thing about them is they’re resilient. They have a lot of pride in that.

The 2024 senior class for the Oklahoma Sooners softball team will finish their college careers not knowing how it feels to walk away from a season without a championship.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] now have four rings. They’re joined in this senior class by [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag], [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag], [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], all transfers who started their careers elsewhere.

“This one was the hardest one that I’ve ever had to work for in my life,” Jennings said via The Oklahoman. “This team, the adversity that we went through, we did it and we overcame everything.”

Oklahoma’s senior class finished with as many national championships as [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] loses, as OU finished off Texas on Thursday night. It was an 8-4 victory in Game 2 of the [autotag]WCWS[/autotag] final to win championship number eight, tied for the second-most all-time.

The Sooners won their unprecedented fourth-straight championship, giving [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] a record-tying eight rings. Half of them have now come in succession.

The Sooner seniors wowed many inside and outside the world of sports with a career sweep of national championships, but a quote from their head coach tells their story better than anyone else can.

“This is the best senior class that has ever played the game, and I’ll stand behind that as long as I live,” said Gasso of their incredible run.

Patty Gasso has built a historic dynasty in Norman, and this senior class has pulled off something few imagined could ever be done. And we may never see another run like this again. But given what Oklahoma’s done, who’s to say they can’t run it back.

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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 Oklahoma’s 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators

Photo Gallery of the Oklahoma Sooners 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators in the Women’s College World Series.

It didn’t go according to plan today for the Oklahoma Sooners, who turned to [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] in the circle. May had been lights out for the Sooners during the postseason but got hit by a good Florida Gators. The Gators knocked off the Sooners 9-3 to set up an elimination game between the two sides on Tuesday.

May allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in two innings pitched, giving way to Kierston Deal in the third who didn’t fair much better. Deal, who had also pitched well for the Sooners, allowed five runs on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings pitched.

At the plate, the Sooners left 10 runners in scoring position, which isn’t a great recipe for success. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] was 0-3 after opening the game with a lead off walk.

But it was just one game. The Sooners have an opportunity to right the ship in another matchup with the Florida Gators.

Oklahoma is still a win away from the championship series. Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners 9-3 loss to Florida.

Oklahoma Sooners lose 9-3 to the Florida Gators

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t keep the Florida Gators bats in check, losing 9-3, setting up an elimination game between the two future SEC foes on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma Sooners entered the day one win away from the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] Championship. The Florida Gators made sure it stayed the way with a 9-3 win over the Sooners to set up an elimination game on Tuesday.

The Florida Gators opened the scoring on a bloop single from Reagan Walsh. Florida added to their lead in the bottom of the third with an inside the park home run from Kendra Falby after Rylie Boone’s diving attempt came up short. All-American Skylar Wallace then went back-to-back with a home run she crushed to right field to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled to take advantage when they got the leadoff hitter on base. Their best chance came in the top of the second when Kasidi Pickering earned a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kinzie Hansen grounded back to the pitcher, but Pickering was able to advance to third on the play. Then Rylie Boone hit a liner to deep center that looked like it might clear Falby, but she made a tremendous play on the ball. Pickering failed to tag up on the play, believing the ball to end up a base hit and was forced to stay at third. Oklahoma couldn’t cash in as Florida pitcher Keagan Rothrock struck out Cydney Sanders to end the threat.

Down 4-1, the Sooners finally got on the board with an RBI single from Kinzie Hansen. But the Gators responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Sooners at a distance.

Tiare Jennings hit her 97th career home run and 10th in the Women’s College World Series. It was the lone highlight for a Sooners team that simply didn’t have it today.

Nicole May got the start after looking really sharp this postseason, but she and Kierston Deal were roughed up by a good Florida Gators offense.

The two combined to allow nine runs on 10 hits and they walked five batters. It’s the first time a former assistant of Patty Gasso has beaten the Sooners.

The loss ends the Sooners’ 11-game winning streak, and they will now need to beat Florida on Tuesday to advance to the Women’s College World Series Championship. Presumably Kelly Maxwell will get the start for the Sooners in the elimination game.

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Oklahoma Sooners playing their best softball heading into the Women’s College World Series

Riding a nine game winning streak, the Oklahoma Sooners are playing their best softball heading into the Women’s College World Series.

Ten games ago, the Oklahoma Sooners dropped their second straight game to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in their Bedlam series. The Sooners were outscored 12-5 by Oklahoma State in the two losses, dropping their second Big 12 series of the season.

But in the third game of the series on the last day of the regular season and with the Big 12 regular season title out of the picture, the Sooners began looking like the team that’s won three straight national titles.

They carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. Oklahoma State tied it up in the top of the sixth and the Sooners responded in a way only they know how, putting up six runs in the bottom of the inning and getting a much needed win ahead of the Big 12 tournament.

That was the first of current Oklahoma’s nine-game winning streak. During the streak, the Sooners have outscored their opponents 69-16. In their nine games, the OU has held their opponents to two runs or fewer seven times and scored six runs or more six times.

They’ve turned it on at the right time of the year, taking a more aggressive approach at the plate and on the base paths. They’re putting more pressure on opposing pitching staffs and taking advantage of mistakes in the field. It’s the effort and the approach of a veteran team that knows what it takes to win in May and June.

From [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] at the plate to [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] from the circle, the Sooners are rolling right now heading into the Women’s College World Series.

They’ll open with a tough matchup against ACC Champion Duke, but the Sooners are looking like a team ready to make more history.

More: Women’s College World Series By the Numbers

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Nicole May, Kelly Maxwell dominant in Oklahoma Sooners Norman Regional sweep

Kelly Maxwell and Nicole May were incredible in the Oklahoma Sooners Norman Regional Sweep.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] had a fantastic weekend for the Oklahoma Sooners, setting the tone in their Norman Regional sweep. They combined for 19 innings pitched and allowed one earned run. The two held Oregon to just one earned run in 14 innings on Saturday and Sunday to advance to the Super Regionals.

The Sooners duo earned all three wins and Maxwell picked up a save on Sunday in the clincher. They recorded 26 strikeouts and along with Karlie Keeney, didn’t walk a batter all weekend.

It was a continuation of the weekend the Sooners had the week before in the Big 12 tournament, but even better. And it sets the stage for the Sooners to go deep in the NCAA tournament.

What the Sooners have put on display since the beginning of the Big 12 tournament is the aggressive Oklahoma Sooners team that has been so good for so long. And May and Maxwell set the tone from the circle, attacking hitters early in counts and throwing with confidence.

“All week long, we worked on being decisive,” Kelly Maxwell said after the win on Sunday. “I think that was the word of the day and I think Nicole May started with that. I just wanted to pick her up in that moment and have her back and be decisive.”

In the circle and at that the plate, the Sooners dictated the game. Though they’ve done a great job getting on base with walks, at times it created a passive mentality at the plate. That wasn’t the case in the Big 12 tournament and that wasn’t the case in the Norman Regional.

From the circle to the plate, the Sooners showed that this is the same team that has won three straight national titles and looking to make history with a fourth.

As the great Ric Flair once said, “to be the man, you gotta beat the man.” And Oklahoma is reminding everyone that they’re the team to beat. And with Maxwell and May pitching as well as they did this weekend, they’re going to be really tough to beat.

More: Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners 3-2 win over the Oregon Ducks.

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Best Photos from Oklahoma’s 3-2 win over the Oregon Ducks to advance to Super Regionals

The Oklahoma Sooners advanced to the Super Regionals with a 3-2 win over the Oregon Ducks. Here are some of the bet photos from the win.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a great weekend in the Norman Regional, sweeping through the competition with a win over Cleveland State on Friday and then a pair of wins over Oregon to advance to their 14th consecutive Super Regionals next weekend against Florida State.

The Sooners received another fantastic start from [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag], who allowed one earned run in five innings of work. May scattered five hits and struck out six and [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] allowed a hit over two innings to earn the save and push the Sooners on in the NCAA tournament.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] scored on a sacrifice fly from Kasidi Pickering in the first. Coleman then doubled [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] home later in the game to put the Sooners up 2-0.

With the scored tied 2-2 in the fourth, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] drove in Coleman on a 3-2 count, which ended up being the winning run. It was a fantastic day for Coleman, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

The win was an emotional one for [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and the Sooners coaching staff after welcoming back former Sooner greats [autotag]Missy Lombardi[/autotag] and [autotag]Sydney Romero[/autotag]. Like the team typically does after a series, the coaching staffs from the Oregon Ducks and the Oklahoma Sooners met at home plate for their own prayer circle.

For a Sooners team looking to win its fourth consecutive national championship, this weekend was a strong start to their run to the Women’s College World Series. Oklahoma received timely hitting, and the Sooners pitching staff didn’t allow a walk in the 20 innings pitched this weekend. If they can pitch like that during the postseason, they’ll be in great shape.

Florida State comes to town next weekend in a rematch of the 2023 Women’s College World Series Championship.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners win over Oregon on Sunday.

Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners 9-0 win over Cleveland State in NCAA tournament

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 9-0 win over the Cleveland State Vikings in the Norman Regional.

It was a rousing start for the Oklahoma Sooners in their NCAA tournament opener, rattling off a 9-0 run-rule win over the Cleveland State Vikings.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] was stellar, with nine strikeouts in five innings. She allowed just three hits and didn’t walk a batter. Oklahoma’s freshmen [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] and [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] combined for five RBIs in their first NCAA tournament appearance.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] walked it off with a two-run home run to move into a tie for fourth place on the NCAA all-time home run list and fifth place in career RBIs. Jennings is one of the sports all-time greats in the midst of another incredible career.

With 20 home runs on the season, it’s the third time in her career that she’s hit at least 20 home runs in a season.

The Sooners are getting a team effort over the last five games where they’re outscoring their opponents 45-6 dating back to their win over Oklahoma State in the Bedlam series finale.

The Sooners now get set for a big-time showdown with the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. But before that, let’s take a look at the best photos from the Sooners win over Cleveland State.

 

Oklahoma Sooners open NCAA Tournament with 9-0 win over Cleveland State

Nicole May dominated Cleveland State with five shutout innings, nine strikeouts and no walks. Freshman Kasidi Pickering hit two home runs, Ella Parker added three RBIs, and Tiare Jennings ended the game with a walk-off home run to lead the Sooners to a 9-0 win.

In what was a pitchers duel through the first few innings turned into a rout as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Cleveland State Vikings 9-0 to move to 1-0 in the Norman Regional.

The Sooners received. fantastic performance from senior [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag], who recorded nine strikeouts in five innings of shutout ball. She allowed just three hits and didn’t surrender a walk in the win.

[autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] got the scoring started for the Sooners in the second inning with a solo home run, one of two blasts she had in her first NCAA tournament game.

May and Cleveland State starter Melissa Holzopfel battled to a 1-0 game through three innings. Holzopfel even eliminated a Sooners scoring threat in the bottom of the third, escaping a bases loaded jam by striking out [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag].

But the Sooners broke through in the fourth inning to pull away from the Vikings.

Pickering singled and pinch runner [autotag]Hannah Coor[/autotag] advanced to second on [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] sacrifice bunt. After Avery Hodge grounded back to the pitcher for the second out of the inning, the Sooners bats came to life.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] singled to bring in Coor and make it 2-0. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] followed that with a triple on a diving attempt by Cleveland State’s center fielder. That brought home Boone and put Oklahoma up 3-0. [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] continued her incredible postseason by driving in Coleman, and the Sooners had a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the fifth.

As she had all game, May was electric, getting a 1-2-3 inning to put the red hot Sooners offense back at the plate.

Pickering hit her second home run of the game and ninth of the season in the fifth to put the Sooners up 5-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Parker had a two-run double and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] hit the 93rd home run of her career to end the game in walk-off, run-rule fashion.

Jennings’ home run was the 93rd of her career and tied her for fourth in NCAA history.

Nicole May’s nine-strikeout performance was a season-high. She was electric from the circle, showing off great location and power, and mixed up her pitches well. She struck out half of the 18 Cleveland State batters she faced to move to 13-2 on the season.

Coleman, Parker, and Jennings were really good, combining to go 5-for-10 with six RBIs. Parker and fellow freshman Pickering were instrumental in the victory, showing that they’re ready for the bright lights of the NCAA tournament.

The win put the Sooners on the winning side of the Norman Regional, where they’ll face the Oregon Ducks on day two. Oregon run ruled Boston earlier in the day Friday to advance in the winners bracket.

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Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners’ 5-1 win over Texas to win Big 12 tournament title

A look at the best photos from Oklahoma’s 5-1 win over the Texas Longhorns to clinch the Big 12 tournament title.

It was a matchup of two of the best teams in college softball. Unlike recent seasons, when the Sooners were the No. 1 team in the nation, Texas held the top spot and was riding an 18-game winning streak. The Sooners stifled the Longhorns in a 5-1 win to secure the Big 12 tournament title.

But that didn’t matter to the three-time defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. They came into the Big 12 tournament with a more aggressive mindset, and it paid off in their win over the Longhorns. They were aggressive at the plate, putting the ball in play and forcing a Longhorns defense that has been a weakness to make plays. There were several times Texas couldn’t make the play, and Oklahoma capitalized.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] put together another strong pitching performance, limiting Texas to two hits. [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] found a groove in 1 2/3 innings of work to preserve the win.

“Masterful,” Patty Gasso said of Maxwell’s performance. “So good, so in control, so focused. Pretty elite, against a team that hits the way Texas does. That was an elite, elite performance.”

It truly was. Maxwell’s outing is exactly why it was huge she transferred to OU. They needed a bona fide ace, and Maxwell has delivered.

[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] had two more hits and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Parker has been great all season. Oklahoma fans know about her. Now, the rest of the softball world is going to find out just how great she is.

The win was a total team effort, with contributions from freshmen and seniors alike. The tournament win puts them on a positive trajectory heading into the NCAA tournament.

Best Photos from Oklahoma’s win over Texas