Tag: Patty Gasso

No. 1 Oklahoma comes alive late to defeat No. 10 Florida State 6-2, forces decisive Game 3

No. 1 Oklahoma softball came alive in the late innings to best No. 10 Florida State 6-2 and force a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball was back in a familiar situation at the Women’s College World Series on Wednesday night needing a win to keep their season alive when they faced No. 10 Florida State in Game 2 of the WCWS finals.

As she has done multiple times throughout play in Oklahoma City, head coach Patty Gasso turned to senior pitcher Giselle Juarez (22-1) to get the start in the circle and she was fantastic yet again after an early stumble tossing a complete game.

After the Sooners came up empty in the top of the first, the Seminoles would be the first team to strike on a two-run home run to left field off the bat of first baseman Elizabeth Mason. Florida State quickly held a 2-0 advantage and would take that into the third inning.

It was at that point that Oklahoma would get their first offense with third baseman Jana Johns crushing a ball way out to left field for a solo home run that sliced the deficit in half at 2-1.

That would remain the score all the way into the sixth inning when second baseman Tiare Jennings reached on error to open up the frame and bring up designated player Jocelyn Alo as the leading run at the plate. And then, well, she did what she does.

Alo blasted her 33rd home run of the season to push the Sooners to their first lead 3-2 in a truly legendary moment. The home run was also the 159th of the season for Oklahoma – an all-time record by homers from a team. It also brought them up to the 630 run mark as a team – which is alsoΒ a new NCAA record.

Alo’s bomb seemingly took the lid off for Oklahoma’s offense, as they would go on to tack on two more runs in the frame on RBI hits from left fielder Mackenzie Donihoo and center fielder Jayda Coleman. Just like that, the Sooners led 5-2 late.

After Juarez pitched a clean bottom of the sixth, Oklahoma would add a little more insurance in the seventh on a sacrifice fly off the bat of right fielder Nicole Mendes that scored Alo. The Sooners took a 6-2 advantage into the final half inning.

From there, Juarez locked things down to give Oklahoma the victory and even up the series at 1-1 and force a winner-take-all game on Thursday afternoon. This was yet another fantastic display of resolve and refusal to go down by Gasso’s club.

The win moves the Sooners to 55-4 on the year and sets them just a single win away from their fifth national title in program history. This team remains incredibly resilient and truly never feels out of a game that they play. The offense was essentially non-existent until late in this one, but they were able to flip the switch late when they needed to do so. Not to mention Juarez, who was again tremendous.

Game 3 of the WCWS finals with everything on the line is set for Thursday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. CT in Oklahoma City.

No. 1 Oklahoma run-rules No. 16 Washington 9-1 to return to Women’s College World Series

No. 1 Oklahoma softball run-ruled No. 16 Washington 9-1 on Saturday to once again return to the Women’s College World Series.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball returned to Marita Hynes Field on Saturday for the second game of their best-of-three Super Regional bout with No. 16 Washington after the Sooners took Game 1 on Friday. A win meant Patty Gasso’s squad would be once again returning to the Women’s College World Series.

Getting the start for Oklahoma was senior Shannon Saile (17-0) who was tremendous working five shutout innings allowing only four hits. Between her performance on Saturday and Nicole May’s on Friday, Sooners pitching had a fantastic weekend.

The Sooners would get the scoring started early with second baseman Tiare Jennings ripping a leadoff double to open the game and then later coming across the plate on a wild pitch. Oklahoma held a 1-0 lead after the opening frame.

After center fielder Jayda Coleman drew a bases loaded walk to score a run in the second, third baseman Jana Johns would come through with one of the big swings of the day in the top of the third. With a runner on second base, Johns pounded a ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run to make the lead 4-0.

The Huskies would get on the board in the bottom of the third off of Saile to cut into the deficit slightly at 4-1, but the Sooners bats would quickly get that run back and then some in the following inning on a pair of home runs.

First came designated player Jocelyn Alo, who hit a two-run laser to right field for her 30th home run of the season.

Two batters later, catcher Kinzie Hansen connected with a solo home run also to right field. Suddenly, Oklahoma was cruising to the tune of a 7-1 lead.

After holding Washington scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Sooners would move the game into run-rule territory in the fifth scoring two runs on RBI hits from the pinch-hitting Lynnsie Elam and Alo. Saile would then get the final three outs for the 9-1 run-rule win.

The win moves Oklahoma to 50-2 on the season and punches their ticket back to the WCWS for a fifth consecutive season. This entire year has been a master class in coaching by Gasso and this weekend was no different with the Sooners mostly cruising to two wins over a really good Washington team.

The lone question mark with this juggernaut Oklahoma team has been if they have enough pitching, but in both the Regionals and Super Regionals the Sooners dominated in the circle. They have to be playing with immense confidence going into next week’s bid for a national title.

Oklahoma will now await the winner of the Super Regional bout between No. 9 Missouri and James Madison in the first round of the Women’s College World Series that begins on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

No. 1 Oklahoma opens up Super Regionals with 4-2 win over No. 16 Washington

No. 1 Oklahoma softball held on late to knock off No. 16 Washington 4-2 in the first game of the Super Regionals on Friday afternoon.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball began Super Regional action on Friday afternoon hosting No. 16 Washington at Marita Hynes Field in the first game of their best-of-three weekend set.

While not an elimination game, the first game of the weekend is still understandably massively important to give yourself two cracks at clinching as opposed to needing two straight wins – so the pressure was on for this collision of elite teams.

In a somewhat surprising move, head coach Patty Gasso went to freshman pitcher Nicole May (14-1) to start the game in the circle as opposed to one of the big seniors in Giselle Juarez or Shannon Saile. May has been the best of the bunch in the latter part of the season, so the move seemed warranted and May delivered in a huge way with a complete game performance only allowing two runs to cross.

The Sooners would get the scoring started in the opening frame with second baseman Tiare Jennings leading off the inning with a double and then coming in to score after three Oklahoma batters were hit by pitches. Gasso’s squad held an early 1-0 advantage after the first.

The Huskies would get that run right back in the second inning on a solo home run by left fielder Sami Reynolds over the batters eye in center field. May would respond by retiring the next three batters, a key spot where some other young players may feel the heat of the moment.

The Sooners would then hop back in front in the bottom of the third on a laser home run off the bat of designated player Jocelyn Alo – her 29th of the season. Oklahoma held a 2-1 lead at the end of three innings.

The score would remain there into the fifth inning when catcher Kinzie Hansen would come through with one of the more wild plays you’ll ever see in softball. With one out and a runner on second base, Hansen singled up the middle to score the runner. The ball then got away from Washington center fielder Jadelyn Allchin which allowed Hansen to come allΒ the way around to score. It doesn’t go in the book as an inside-the-park home run, but that is about as close as you’ll ever get.

May would go on to get the final six outs, albeit with allowing a solo home run in the seventh inning, for the complete game victory to give Oklahoma the 4-2 win and a 1-0 series lead with the chance to punch their ticket to the Women’s College World Series on Saturday.

May is undoubtedly the star of the game keeping the Huskies off balance all afternoon long and then weathering the storm late when things got hairy. The offense did there part as well doing enough at the plate putting four runs on the board and providing some needed late cushion. This was an overall very sound performance by the Sooners in a game that always felt like it was in their control despite it being close on the scoreboard.

Oklahoma can now move on to the WCWS on Saturday with a win in Game 2, which is set for 2:00 p.m. CT back at Marita Hynes Field.

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When, where, how to watch Oklahoma take on Washington in NCAA Super Regional

Everything you need to know for No. 1 Oklahoma softball’s Super Regional matchup with No. 16 Washington beginning on Friday afternoon.

No. 1 Oklahoma (48-2) makes their return to Marita Hynes Field this weekend for the Norman Super Regional against No. 16 Washington (45-12) in a best-of-three series with a spot in the Women’s College World Series on the line.

The Sooners were granted the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after an incredible regular season that saw them put up record-setting offensive numbers all year long. They lived up to that ranking in the Norman Regional a week ago going 3-0 in the round capped off with a 24-7 beat down of Wichita State in the regional final.

Despite that, head coach Patty Gasso has said openly on multiple occasions now that she was unsure why Oklahoma had been given the top seed given their lighter strength of schedule compared to some other top teams – specifically those from the Pac-12.

That segues perfectly to the No. 16 Huskies who were widely viewed as theΒ single most obviously under-seeded team in the entire bracket. They made waves during the selection show by walking out of the room when their draw was revealed, not even staying to see who the remaining teams in their regional were.

Someone who agreed with their disdain was in fact Gasso, who said she supported their form of silent protest and went into further detail about her lack of understanding at what the criteria is for the seeding and pleading for there to be more transparency in the process as a whole.

Simply put, in many people’s minds this a matchup of perhaps an even higher quality than the Super Regionals. These are elite teams that will be clashing in Norman this weekend, as evidenced by the second game of the series being the first everΒ collegiate softball game to be broadcast on ABC.

Oklahoma is looking to clinch their 14th all-time berth in the WCWS and their fifth straight with two wins this weekend over Washington. Tickets for the series are completely sold out for this star-studded matchup of title contenders.

This series will mark the 27th, 28th and (potentially) 29th all-time meetings between the Sooners and the Huskies with Washington holding the slight historical edge 14-12. The two teams have met four of the last five seasons, including three collisions in the WCWS. The Huskies are coached by Heather Tarr in her 17th year with the program.

For this powerhouse Super Regional matchup, here is everything you need to know:

Game 1 – Friday

WHEN:Β  Β 2:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:Β  Β Norman, Oklahoma (Marita Hynes Field)

HOW TO WATCH:Β  Β ESPN2

HOW TO LISTEN:Β  Β Sooner Sports Radio Network – The Franchise 2 103.3 FM/1560 AM; Tune In Radio App (Chris Plank & Destinee Martinez)

Game 2 – Saturday

WHEN:Β  Β 2:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:Β  Β Norman, Oklahoma (Marita Hynes Field)

HOW TO WATCH:Β  Β ABC

HOW TO LISTEN:Β  Β Sooner Sports Radio Network – KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App (Chris Plank & Destinee Martinez)

Game 3 – Sunday (If Necessary)

WHEN:Β  Β 3:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:Β  Β Norman, Oklahoma (Marita Hynes Field)

HOW TO WATCH:Β  Β ESPN

HOW TO LISTEN:Β  Β Sooner Sports Radio Network – KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App (Chris Plank & Destinee Martinez)

No. 1 Oklahoma defeats Wichita State 24-7, punches ticket to Super Regionals

No. 1 Oklahoma softball decimated Wichita State 24-7 on Sunday to punch their ticket back to the Super Regionals for an 11th straight season

No. 1 Oklahoma softball returned to Marita Hynes Field on Sunday for the final of the Norman Regional against Wichita State with the Shockers needing to defeat the Sooners twice after Patty Gasso’s squad won a close one between the two teams on Saturday.

In a surprising decision, Gasso elected to give the start to sophomore Olivia Rains and she would struggle allowing three runs and only recording one out in the opening frame before being removed in favor of fellow sophomore Alanna Thiede. Thiede would only get one out herself and allow another run before freshman Nicole May (13-1) stepped into the circle to get the final out and end the inning at 4-0 Wichita State.

But, after an empty first trip to the plate, Oklahoma would cut loose in the second frame striking for eight runs. Right fielder Nicole Mendes got it started with a two-run single followed by a two-run double from second baseman Tiare Jennings. First baseman Kinzie Hansen then picked up a run-scoring knock and designated player Jocelyn Alo came across on a wild pitch. Shortstop Grace Lyons and catcher Lynnsie Elam would both tack on RBI hits before inning’s end to have the Sooners out in front 8-4.

Oklahoma would go for three more runs in the third with one coming across on a fielder’s choice and Lyons connecting on a two-run home run to left field. The Sooners led 11-4 at the midway point of the third frame.

After the Shockers got a run on a solo home run by designated player Lauren Mills in the bottom of the third, Oklahoma would get it right back and then some in the fourth on a three-run shot by Jennings to push the Sooners’ lead out to 14-5.

Wichita State first baseman Neleigh Herring would connect the following inning on a two-run blast off of May to cut the deficit to 14-7 at the end of four innings.

The score would remain there into the seventh when the Sooners would add onto their lead in big fashion starting with two two-run home runs from Jennings and Lyons to balloon the lead out to 18-7. Oklahoma wouldn’t stop there by any stretch striking for six more on another home run, a solo shot from Elam, a bases loaded walk from Jennings and then a grand slam from Rylie Boone – all still without a single out recorded.

May would then record the final three outs to finish the game off with the Sooners winning by the lopsided margin of 24-7.

The win pushes Oklahoma to 48-2 on the season and punches their ticket to the Super Regionals for the eleventh straight season. After a rough early start, this game was domination from the second inning on. This Sooners team continues to meet every challenge in front of them as they get one step closer to reaching their ultimate goal.

Oklahoma will now await the winner of the Seattle Regional in either No. 16 Washington or Michigan next week in the Super Regionals. Sooners Wire will provide more information on opponent and start times when they become available.

When, where, how to watch No. 1 Oklahoma softball take on Wichita State in NCAA Regional final

Everything you need to know for No. 1 Oklahoma softball’s regional final against Wichita State on Sunday afternoon.

No. 1 Oklahoma (47-2) is back at Marita Hynes Field on Sunday in the final of the Norman Regional against Wichita State (41-12-1) with a berth in the Super Regionals on the line.

For the Sooners, they will need to win only once to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament with the Shockers needing to find a way to beat Oklahoma two consecutive times. Considering Patty Gasso’s club has only lost twice allΒ season, that is certainly a tall task – but they did indeed give them a run for their money in their matchup on Sunday with the Sooners hanging on for the 7-5 win.

After falling to Oklahoma, Wichita State was forced to do battle with Texas A&M late Saturday night needing a win to keep their season alive. The action crossed midnight and was a hard-fought battle with the Shockers outlasting the Aggies 9-6. Obviously, fatigue could be a serious factor for Wichita State on Sunday.

After Saturday’s matchup, Gasso expressed a deep respect for Wichita State saying quite simply that they were an under seeded team and better than most people give them credit for even going as far as to say they were the “toughest hitting team” the Sooners had seen all season. While Oklahoma will have obvious huge advantages with being at home, being more rested and only needing one win, the Shockers will still pose a tough challenge.

For the Norman Regional final, here is everything you need to know:

WHEN:Β  Β 3:00 p.m. CT

WHERE:Β  Β Norman, Oklahoma (Marita Hynes Field)

HOW TO WATCH:Β  Β ESPN

HOW TO LISTEN:Β  Β Sooner Sports Radio Network – KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App (Chris Plank)

 

IF WICHITA STATE WINS:

Should the Shockers win, the second game will be approximately 30 minutes after the first game’s conclusion. Radio information for the second matchup will be the same. Television details will be added to this post once the information becomes available.

No. 1 Oklahoma survives battle with Wichita State 7-5 to move to regional final

No. 1 Oklahoma softball survived a battle with Wichita State 7-5 on Saturday to move to Sunday’s regional final.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball returned to the diamond at Marita Hynes Field on Saturday for the second day of the Norman Regional against Wichita State looking to move to 2-0 on the weekend and clinch their spot in Sunday’s regional final.

Getting the start in the circle for Patty Gasso was senior Shannon Saile who would do a solid job working into the fourth inning, only getting burned by a pair of solo home runs. Giselle Juarez would relieve her and work through two innings allowing a three-run home run of her own before freshman Nicole May finished the job recording the final four outs.

The Shockers would get on the board first in the opening frame with a solo home run by catcher Madison Perrigan. The Sooners would get that run back the following frame on a blast from their catcher Lynnsie Elam to knot things up at 1-1 after two.

That would remain the score into the fourth when Wichita State would get ahold of another one off of Saile with third baseman Ryleigh Buck driving a ball out to left field to put the Shockers in front 2-1.

The score would stay there into the bottom of the fifth which would be the point in which the Oklahoma bats would come to life and seize all the momentum striking for six huge runs to jump out to a sizable advantage.

Second baseman Tiare Jennings got the scoring started with an RBI double off the wall to bring in right fielder Nicole Mendes after she had walked. Designated player Jocelyn Alo and first baseman Kinzie Hansen then followed that up with run-scoring hits of their own to have the score sitting at 4-2.

But the big swing would come later on in the frame, with Elam blasting her second home run of the day – this one a three-run blast to make the score 7-2 Oklahoma. The game went from being in control of Wichita State to a laugher the other way seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The Shockers, however, were not going to go quietly into the night. They would respond back in the sixth with a three-run home run from Buck – herΒ second of the afternoon – to pull within a couple of runs at 7-5.

Oklahoma would be retired scoreless in the bottom half of the frame leaving May to try and hang on for the win. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Wichita State would pick up back-to-back two-out singles to put pressure on the freshman. But, with the game on the line, May once again stepped up with a monster strikeout to end the game.

The win moves the Sooners to 47-2 on the year and moves them on to Sunday’s regional final. This was a significant test that Gasso’s squad passed, taking the Shockers’ best shot and finding a way to absorb it and survive for the hard-fought victory.

Oklahoma will head to Sunday having two chances to win one game and move to the Super Regionals starting at 3:00 p.m. CT.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball rolls Morgan State 19-0 in NCAA Tournament opener

No. 1 Oklahoma softball opened up the NCAA Tournament in style Friday night with a 19-0 thrashing of Morgan State in Norman.

No. 1 Oklahoma softball began their 2021 NCAA Tournament run on Friday night hosting the Morgan State Bears in the first game of the Norman Regional.

The Sooners began the postseason a lot like the way they played the majority of the regular season: overwhelming their opponent from the jump. Patty Gasso’s team absolutely rolled to a 19-0 run-rule win in five innings in a game that was never close.

Senior Giselle Juarez was given the start in the circle and was highly effective and efficient working 3 1/3 scoreless innings allowing just one hit and striking out six on just 42 pitches. Sophomore Olivia Rains and freshman Nicole May would team up to record the final five outs to finish the job.

Oklahoma would get things started scoring seven runs in the first on an RBI single by catcher Kinzie Hansen, an RBI bunt by shortstop Grace Lyons that plated two after a throwing error, a two-run home run by center fielder Jayda Coleman, a run in on a fielders choice off the bat of right fielder Nicole Mendes and a run-scoring double by second baseman Tiare Jennings.

The Sooners would then put up six more runs the following frame on RBI doubles from first baseman Taylon Snow and Hansen along with a grand slam from Mendes. Oklahoma held a 13-0 lead after two innings.

They would keep the good times rolling in the third with sixΒ moreΒ runners crossing home plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rylie Boone, an RBI double by Grace Green and two-run home runs from both Mendes (her second of the night) and designated player Jocelyn Alo – her 28th home run of the season. Mendes’ seven RBIs on Friday night were a program record for a postseason game.

Amazingly, the Sooners would go scoreless in the fourth inning but with the run-rule well in effect, they were able to finish the job in five innings keeping Morgan State off the board in the fourth and fifth frames for the 19-0 win.

This was as dominant of a start as you could hope for to begin a postseason run for Gasso’s squad, thoroughly controlling the game in all facets.

The win moves Oklahoma to 46-2 on the year and gets themselves on the right foot to punching a Super Regionals ticket for the 11th straight year. Next up will be a battle with Wichita State tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. CT back at Marita Hynes Field looking to move on to Sunday’s regional final.

When, where, how to watch No. 1 Oklahoma softball take on Morgan State in NCAA Regional

Everything you need to know for No. 1 Oklahoma softball’s NCAA Tournament opener Friday night against Morgan State in the Norman Regional.

No. 1 Oklahoma (45-2, 16-1) is rested and ready to go off of its Big 12 tournament title last weekend as it officially begins an NCAA Tournament run on Friday night in the Norman Regional against Morgan State (24-15, 14-5).

The Sooners have been a nearly unstoppable force all season and were awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for their efforts. Now they get the chance to live up to that ranking as they begin their quest for the Women’s College World Series.

The Bears won the MEAC’s regular-season title as well the conference tournament to gain their spot in the Norman Regional as an automatic qualifier. This will be their first game against major conference competition all season as they look to pull off what would be an all-time, historic stunner should they topple mighty Oklahoma in what is the program’s first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

This not only marks the first game for the Sooners in their hopeful title run, but it will also be their first game played in front of 100% capacity at Marita Hynes Field. The University of Oklahoma has elected to allow a full crowd moving forward.

This game will be the first meeting between Oklahoma and Morgan State, as the Sooners look to get off on the right foot toward punching their ticket to an 11th straight appearance in the Super Regionals. The Bears are coached by Larry Hineline, who is in his seventh year with the program.

For the Friday night opener for Oklahoma in the Norman Regional, here is everything you need to know:

WHEN:Β  Β 7:30 p.m. CT (Approximate)

WHERE:Β  Β Norman, Oklahoma (Marita Hynes Field)

HOW TO WATCH:Β  Β ESPN3

HOW TO LISTEN:Β  Β Sooner Sports Radio Network – 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App (Chris Plank)

Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo a candidate for 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo has been named a finalist for national player of the year honors.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team had quite the season as the No. 1 team in the country for most of the season. They finished the season with a record of 45-2 after securing the regular season and conference tournament Big 12 championships. Both losses were avenged immediately in both instances. Now the No. 1 team in the country looks to secure the national championship.

One of their top players this year, Jocelyn Alo is now up for even more hardware after being named the Big 12 Player of the Year. According to a release from the Oklahoma Sooners athletic department, she is a candidate for more player of the year honors. This time for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Alo, the Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 selection, has paced the potent Oklahoma offense in 2021, holding the nation’s lead in home runs (27) and slugging percentage (1.120) and ranks second in RBIs (75) and fifth in batting average (.479).

The senior slugger has homered in 25 of OU’s 47 games, including two grand slams and two multi-home run games. She has successfully reached base in 59 of OU’s last 60 games dating back to last season, including going on a program record 40-game consecutive hit streak from Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Texas A&M to April 3, 2021 vs. Kansas.

Additionally, Alo tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a home run at seven from March 7 vs. Sam Houston through OU’s first matchup with Iowa State, March 26. The Hauula, Hawaii, native has 81 career homers, just 14 shy of the OU and NCAA career record for home runs (95), set by 2015 OU grad Lauren Chamberlain.

No. 1 Oklahoma was one of three programs to have multiple top-10 finalists for the award, as freshman Tiare Jennings was a Top-10 candidate for the award, considered the most prestigious honor in NCAA Division I softball.

The winner will be announced June 1 prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s College World Series