Tag: Texas Longhorns Softball

Oklahoma vs. Texas Women’s College World Series Final most watched ever

Oklahoma’s win over Texas to clinch their eighth national title set a new viewership record.

The Oklahoma Sooners completed another historic season with their 8-4 win over the Texas Longhorns. The Red River Rivals competed in front of the largest viewership ever for a [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] Finals.

The Sooners and Longhorns averaged 2 million viewers and peaked at 2.5 million, setting a new high, up 3% from the previous record from 2015. This year’s viewership for the finals was up 24% from 2023. They were also the second and third most streamed softball games on ESPN+

It was a back-and-forth affair through the first half of the game, with Texas taking the lead twice before the Sooners took the lead for good in the fourth inning and pulled away in the sixth.

More: Best photos from Sooners 8-4 win over Texas Longhorns

The Red River Showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation came down to the wire.

There was a lot on the line in this rivalry matchup for the championship. Texas was trying to win their first title, and the Oklahoma Sooners were looking to win their record fourth-straight and eighth overall.

The game reached its climax in the sixth inning as the Longhorns pulled within one, but Oklahoma pulled away in the bottom half with three runs to take an insurmountable four-run lead into the seventh.

In a game that was filled with drama and had several lead changes, Kelly Maxwell worked a drama-free 1-2-3 inning to close out the win.

College softball is growing across the nation. Programs around the country regularly set weekend attendance records, and viewership has grown across the sport.

Oklahoma’s dominance has drawn new fans to the sport, both to witness their greatness and root for their downfall. Either way, the sport is growing at a rapid pace and that’s great for the athletes and for the game.

More: Social media reacts to the Sooners win over Texas to clinch national title

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners came out swinging in their game-one win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners collected three home runs and three doubles to power past the Longhorns to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] got things going with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and Oklahoma got back-to-back home runs from [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] in the third inning and never looked back.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw another complete game, recording eight strikeouts. She allowed just four hits and four walks to arguably the best offense in the country.

Now the Sooners are just one win away from capturing their fourth-straight national championship. But the Texas Longhorns won’t go quietly into the Oklahoma City night. The Sooners will be challenged in game two tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns.

More: Social Media reacts to Oklahoma’s 8-3 win over Texas in WCWS

Oklahoma Sooners beat Texas Longhorns 8-3 in game one of WCWS Final

Sooners hit three home runs and Kelly Maxwell pitched another great game to lead Oklahoma to an 8-3 win over Texas in game one of the Women’s College World Series championship.

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a hot start and never looked back in their game one matchup with the Texas Longhorns, taking the opener of the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] championship 8-3.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] picked up right where she left off on Monday when she threw 148 pitches over eight innings and threw another gem. Through five innings, the Texas Longhorns had only mustered one run, a solo shot in the first inning. Though Texas did some damage in the sixth, Maxwell allowed just one earned run in her complete game.

The Sooners got going offensively early in this one. Jayda Coleman was hit by a pitch, and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] hit a two-run home run. It was the 98th home run of her career and 11th in the Women’s College World Series.

Texas cut the deficit in half on a Mia Scott home run to right field. Maxwell settled in to limit the damage and had a 1-2-3 second inning. And the Sooners rewarded her with some insurance in the top of the third.

[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] led off the inning with a single, and with one out, Kinzie Hansen drove a 2-1 pitch to left-center field to give Oklahoma a 4-1 lead. True freshman [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] followed it up with a home run of her own to extend the lead to 5-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Sooners added to their lead when Hansen doubled, and Pickering forced an errant throw on a close play at first base, allowing Hansen to score to make it 6-1.

Pinch-hitting in the top of the sixth, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] was hit by a pitch, and [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] was brought in to pinch run. Hodge took second on a wild pitch and then third base when Reese Atwood lost track of how many outs were in the inning and lobbed the ball up in the air. That became a huge moment in the inning as Jennings singled to bring Hodge in for the 7-1 lead.

Texas made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs and threatened for more before Maxwell locked it down to limit the damage.

The Sooners went ahead 8-3 in the top of the seventh when [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] doubled and then advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Atwood got aggressive again and tried to pick Brito off at third base, but the ball hit the Sooners third basemen. Brito scored to extend the Sooners lead.

Maxwell locked in and earned a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final two hitters, including a called strike three on Viviana Martinez to end the game. Maxwell earned the 23rd win of the season and put Oklahoma one win away from capturing their fourth-straight national title.

She allowed just one earned run on four hits and four walks and recorded eight strikeouts for the second straight day. It was another fantastic performance and the Sooners offense provided more run support against a really good Texas pitching staff.

Jennings led the way on her birthday with a 2-for-4 effort with three RBIs. Parker and Hansen each had two hits as well.

More: How to Watch Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns in the Women’s College World Series Championship

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Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan speaks on comfort level in big games

Kavan is not afraid of big moments.

Talented pitcher Teagan Kavan was dominant in her seven innings of work in Texas’ Women’s College World Series debut for 2024.

Through seven innings, Kavan had eight strikeouts without allowing a single run to the Stanford Cardinal. The Longhorns pitcher described how she was able to have such great success in the first game of the World Series.

“I think last week honestly helped a lot when I came into a big situation last week to come here. And I think that just kind of calmed me. I knew I was prepared and then I’ve been in front of a big stage before. But just kind of staying locked in with Reese (Atwood) the whole time and calming my nerves and just breathing, really focusing on my breath.”

If she had nerves, they didn’t have much effect on her performance. Kavan allowed just one hit and four walks in seven innings pitched.

There’s still more to accomplish for Texas, but it has players stepping up when called upon. Kavan and company will look to get to the World Series final.

Texas softball coach, players react to advancing to WCWS

Texas is Oklahoma City bound. Players and coaches react to win over Texas A&M.

Texas Longhorns head coach Mike White certainly had the right way of summing up the Longhorns’ 2-1 series victory over the Texas A&M Aggies in the NCAA softball super-regionals this past weekend.

“Obviously, (there is) never a dull moment in a Texas softball game,” White said after Sunday’s 6-5 Longhorns victory. “That was exciting stuff.”

Texas freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan, who earned the save despite giving up three late A&M runs, said she was on “cloud nine” after the Longhorns clinched their spot in the Women’s College World Series.

This has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old,” Kavan said. “I can’t believe it. I’m proud of us and our fight. We’re not done yet and we’ve got business to take care of (in the WCWS).”

She received the support of her teammates despite the tense situation late. Texas scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-2 lead, but Kavan had a trick to keeping calm and earning the save.

“I kept focusing on the speaker at the top of the field and took a deep breath,” she said. “That’s what got me through.”

Texas catcher Reese Atwood added “this series was one of the most intense series I’ve been a part of.”

“I’m proud of the team to take the energy of the (Longhorns) fans and away from the A&M fans,” she said. “They definitely brought it, too.

“The emotion for the team is extreme excitement. We’re also grateful we have an opportunity to go play on the biggest stage. We’re getting ready now. We got past this really tough series and we have to prepare for what we’ve got coming.”

Texas takes on Stanford in Game 3 of the women’s college world series at 6 p.m. CT Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Listen to the full press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ4AXMs6wzY.

16-seed Texas A&M softball drops Game 2 vs. No. 1-seed Texas in extra innings

Texas A&M’s Mya Perez’s three-run home run sent the Aggies into extra innings but failed to secure the series win vs. Texas

In one of the most exciting softball games on the weekend, 16-seed Texas A&M came up just short in extra innings vs. No.1-seed Texas Longhorns, failing to capitalize off freshman Mya Perez’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Returning to the mound for the second straight day, pitcher Emiley Kennedy hopefully has a giant ice bag on her arm. The junior ace gave it her all for six innings before exiting, but she had to come back in to finish the game after Brooke Vestal struggled for one inning.

Despite her impressive performance, Kennedy allowed 14 hits and six earned runs, highlighting the need for more reliable arms on the Aggies’ roster. As the team enters the offseason, head coach Trisha Ford will undoubtedly look to bolster the pitching staff to prevent the overuse of their star player.

At the plate, the Aggies, like in Game 1, took an early 3-0 lead after Jazmine Hill’s two-run homer and Kennedy Powell’s RBI single in the first. Trinity Cannon added to her productive weekend with her third home run in the 5th, extending the lead to 5-1 heading into what was a game-changing sixth inning.

Due to several poor fielding decisions and Kennedy/Vistral’s pitching woes, Texas went on a scoring rampage to re-take lead at 6-5. Held scoreless in the bottom of the frame, the Longhorns tacked on three more runs off a Bella Dayton homer.

However, the Aggies weren’t finished, as freshman Mya Perez deserves a spot on Sport Center’s Top 10 after what she did on Saturday night, stepping up to the plate with two on base and two outs, and down to her last strike, only to power a three-run shot to tie game and send things into extra innings.

Going into extra innings, the Aggies failed to capitalize on the momentum. At the same time, the Longhorns strategically added what became the game-winning run from the speedy Kayden Henry in the top of the 9th. With two on base in the bottom of the frame, Kramer Eschette grounded into a double-play to end the game.

Texas A&M will take on Texas in a series-deciding Game 3 on Sunday night. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. and will air on ESPN2.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Texas A&M softball defeats No. 1-seed Texas in Game 1 of the Super Regionals

Texas A&M is just one win away from the College World Series!

Down goes No. 1! On Friday afternoon, 16-seed Texas A&M defeated Super Regional host and No. 1-seed Texas 6-5 in a game that came down to the final inning after the Aggies led 6-0 for most of the matchup.

Once again, Aggie ace pitcher Emiley Kennedy showed her mettle. The junior completed the game with a seven-inning, five-strikeout performance, despite all five earned runs coming in the final two innings off a Texas grand slam and a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh frame. Her resilience in the face of a late-game onslaught is truly inspiring.

However, the Aggie’s prolific offense sealed the deal, as senior Trinity Cannon delivered a memorable performance at the plate, starting the game with a three-run home run before adding another two-run homer in the 5th. Texas A&M’s scoring ended after Kramer Eschete’s RBI single in the top of the 6th.

While the Longhorns exploded in the bottom of the 6th and 7th frames to almost mount the comeback, Kennedy struck out the final batter to escape with a critical Game 1 victory.

Texas A&M takes on Texas in Game 2 on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Texas softball books spot in NCAA Tournament super regional

The Texas Longhorns softball team defeated Northwestern 7-0 in Game 6 of the Austin regional Sunday.

Teagan Kavan threw a one-hitter, recording 12 strikeouts, as the Texas Longhorns softball team defeated Northwestern 7-0 in Game 6 of the Austin regional to clinch their spot in the super regionals of the NCAA Tournament Sunday in Austin.

Katie Stewart’s two-RBI single in the top of the first kicked off the scoring for Texas before Mia Scott’s three-run home run in the second gave the Longhorns a 5-0 lead. Viviana Martinez and Bella Dayton added RBI for Texas.

Texas takes on Texas A&M in the super regional next weekend. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies twice in the regional round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament with 2-1 and 11-5 victories. Citlaly Gutierrez gave up one run on three hits, striking out five A&M batters in the 2-1 victory. Mac Morgan earned the victory in the second contest, giving up five runs on six hits in five innings pitched, striking out two batters.