Tag: Women’s College World Series

Relive Oklahoma’s 13-2 victory over Northwestern in stunning still photos

Check out the best images from the Oklahoma Sooners’ 13-2 win over the Northwestern Wildcats in their Women’s College World Series opener.

The Oklahoma Sooners might have been held in check for the first couple of innings, but when Rylie Boone doubled off the right field wall to lead off the third, the floodgates opened.

Oklahoma scored six in the third and seven in the fourth to collect their 39th run-rule win of the season and according to Soonerssports.com, it was just the second time in a Women’s College World Series game that a team had hit two grand slams in a game.

Tiare Jennings and Jana Johns’ grand slams powered Oklahoma to a blowout win against the Big 10 champion and with a pitcher who was one of the best in softball in 2022.

The Oklahoma Sooners will next take on Red River Rival, the Texas Longhorns in the next stage of the Women’s College World Series. But before we move on, let’s revisit the action through some incredible images.

 

Sooners Nation reacts to Oklahoma Softball’s 13-2 win over Northwestern

The Oklahoma Sooners poured it on in the third and fourth innings to beat Northwestern 13-2 and Sooners Nation loved it.

USA Softball top 10 finalist for National Player of the Year Danielle Williams had just about made it through the Oklahoma Sooners lineup without much of a threat from the top offense in softball. Staked to a 1-0 lead after Rachel Lewis’ solo shot in the Northwestern half of the third, it looked like Oklahoma was in for a battle.

Then Riley Boone happened.

Known for her speed and her desire to put the ball on the ground and run, the Wildcats’ defense was playing in, even in the outfield. Boone then did her best Jayda Coleman impression, launching the ball over the head of Rachel Lewis in right field for a double to lead off the third inning.

Jana Johns drove Boone home with an RBI single. Johns moved to second on a single by Jayda Coleman and after a wild pitch moved Johns and Coleman up a base, Jocelyn Alo was given a free pass to load the bases for Tiare Jennings with no outs.

With a 1-1 lead in the top of the third, Jennings made Williams pay for leaning on her change up a bit too much and launched a ball to deep center field that cleared the fences for a grand slam. It was Jennings’ third grand slam of the season and 25th home run.

At the end of the inning, the Sooners had a 6-1 lead and the ball game felt over at that point. But that wouldn’t stop Oklahoma from pouring it on and sending a message to the rest of the college softball world. Oklahoma would add seven more runs in the bottom of the fourth including a Jana Johns grand slam for her 12th home run of the season.

It was a fantastic way to start the Women’s College World Series as the Oklahoma Sooners look to repeat as national champions. Sooners Nation enjoyed the action and reacted on social media.

Sooners hit 2 grand slams, Jordy Bahl returns as OU opens WCWS with 13-2 win over Northwestern

The Sooners hit two grand slams, Hope Trautwein navigated five walks, and Jordy Bahl returned in Oklahoma’s 13-2 win over Northwestern.

A year ago, the Oklahoma Sooners started their Women’s College World Series with a loss to unranked James Madison University. The Sooners avoided history repeating itself and rode a pair of grand slams to claim a 13-2 run-rule victory against the Northwestern Wildcats.

On offense, the Sooners took a little while to get going and came into the bottom of the third with only one hit and losing by one.

Then the floodgates opened.

The Sooners exploded in the third inning for six runs. A lead-off double by Rylie Boone got the Sooners started and Jana Johns drove her in. Jayda Coleman followed that up with a single to move Johns to second. A wild pitch allowed Coleman and Johns to move up, clearing a base for Jocelyn Alo to get the unintentional-intentional walk to load the bases.

Tiare Jennings wasted little time, taking the first pitch from Danielle Williams to deep center for her third grand slam of the season and 25th home run on the year. That made the game 6-1, but the Sooners weren’t done yet.

Oklahoma got two more runs in the bottom of the fourth and then the bottom of the lineup delivered yet again as Jana Johns bombed another Sooners grand slam to the opposite field to cap off the Sooners scoring.

While opening the WCWS with a massive win to get a day-off on Friday is a very nice way to start, perhaps the biggest story of the day came in to pitch with two outs in the top of the fifth.

After missing almost a month due to an arm injury, freshman phenom Jordy Bahl is back. When she came on to relieve the ever-dominant Hope Trautwein, the Sooner faithful in Oklahoma City erupted in cheers.

Patty Gasso did say that Bahl would be back during the WCWS, and with such a large lead, why not bring in your star pitcher to get the final out to get her first taste of WCWS action?

Hope Trautwein was solid, but not great. Five walks is simply too much at this stage in the season. Trautwein was tagged with both of Northwestern’s runs, but other than the home run given up in the third inning and the walks, she was very, very solid.

With Bahl back, the Sooners’ pitching staff is looking more and more scary.

Their next opponent will be a very familiar foe.

The next round of the WCWS will have a heavy dose of the Red River Rivalry. OU-Texas will face off at 3 P.M. on Saturday.

The Longhorns handled no. 5 UCLA in the first round and won 7-2. Texas ended the Sooners’ 40-game winning streak back in April.

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WATCH: Tiare Jennings grand slam gives Oklahoma commanding lead

Tiare Jennings broke open the Oklahoma Sooners opening round Women’s College World Series matchup vs. Northwestern with a third inning grand slam.

Northwestern struck first with a home run in the top of the third, doing their best Sooners impression. But that might have been the moment that awakened the sleeping dragon that was the Oklahoma lineup, who hadn’t put much together through the first two innings against All-American Danielle Williams.

After Rylie Boone led off with a double and Kinzie Hansen drove her in with an RBI single, OU loaded the bases for Tiare Jennings.

She didn’t wait long to jump on Williams’ change up and blasted the first pitch to deep center field for her third grand slam of the season.

That gave the Sooners a 5-1 lead and they’d add another to make it 6-1 before the registering their final out.

Jennings now has 25 home runs and 76 RBIs on the season and the Sooners are in control of their opening round WCWS matchup vs. Northwestern.

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Texas takes game one of the WCWS with a 7-2 win over No. 5 UCLA

Texas softball is moving on to the winner’s bracket in Oklahoma City.

Texas softball is moving on to the winner’s bracket in Oklahoma City. Continue reading “Texas takes game one of the WCWS with a 7-2 win over No. 5 UCLA”

Oklahoma pitcher Jordy Bahl expected to play in WCWS

2022 Freshman of the Year Jordy Bahl will be back for the WCWS, according to Head Coach Patty Gasso.

The already stacked Oklahoma Softball pitching staff will be getting some additional firepower for the Women’s College World Series, which begins this week.

Coach Patty Gasso said on Wednesday that Bahl will pitch at some point this week, but didn’t give up much more than that.

Bahl was recently named the National Freshman of the Year. Gasso has had the young flamethrower on ice since early May due to what was called “soreness.” Bahl has not pitched since May 6 against Oklahoma State.

The former No. 1 recruit in the nation has been as advertised since coming to Norman, rocking a 0.95 ERA, and 199 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched.

We don’t know exactly when Gasso will give Bahl the nod to get back in the circle, but we definitely should see her at somepoint this week.

In the first part of the WCWS, the Sooners will be in a bracket with No. 5 UCLA, No. 9 Northwestern and a familiar foe in Texas. The Longhorns handed the Sooners one of their two losses in the regular season which ended OU’s winning streak dating back to last season.

Florida, Oregon State, Oklahoma State and Arizona make up the remaining four teams in the WCWS. The Big 12 and Pac-12 both sent three teams to the WCWS with the Big 10 and SEC both sending one.

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No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 10 Northwestern: How to watch, stream, listen, and key players for WCWS

The Oklahoma Sooners open up the Women’s College World Series against No. 10 Northwestern on Thursday, here’s how you can tune in.

Despite being the No. 1 team in the country, the Oklahoma Sooners won’t get the opportunity to ease into the Women’s College World Series as they get set to take on No. 10 Northwestern (the No. 9 seed in the tournament), who outlasted Arizona State on Sunday night to win their Super Regional matchup.

Northwestern brings to Oklahoma City one of the best pitchers in the country in Danielle Williams who’s gone 31-4 this season with a 1.86 ERA. She’s struckout 323 batters in 241 innings pitched for the Wildcats and was a top 10 finalist for National Player of the Year.

The Wildcats lineup also boasts five players hitting better than .300 on the year, led by Rachel Lewis. Lewis has 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases on the season.

Looking to repeat as national champions, the Oklahoma Sooners boast an incredible lineup of their own with nine players hitting better than .300 and three players hitting better than .400 on the season. The Sooners also boast a ton of power with Jocelyn Aloa, Tiare Jennings, and Grace Lyons each surpassing the 20-homer mark in 2022.

Alo is on the verge of her third 30 home run season and has a chance to leave the all-time home run record at more than 120 for her career.

The big question facing the Sooners is the status of Jordy Bahl. Bahl has been held out for the last several weeks as she recovers from what was described as soreness. In her absence, Hope Trautwein and Nicole May have been fantastic, leading the Sooners to an unbeaten mark in NCAA tournament play.

As Oklahoma gets set to take on the Northwestern Wildcats, here’s how you can tune in for the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] opener.

  • Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. CDT
  • TV Channel: ESPN following Texas vs. No. 5 UCLA.
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
  • Radio Broadcast: The game can be heard on 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity app.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 10 Northwestern

Players to watch:

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners

[autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag]: .497 batting average with 29 home runs, 72 RBIs, 49 walks, Reigning National Player of the Year, 2022 Big 12 Player of the year.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]: .385 batting average with 24 home runs and 72 RBIs, 38 walks.

[autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]: .418 batting average with 21 home runs and 62  RBIs, 20 walks. 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]: .429 batting average with 7 home runs, 37 RBIs, 46 walks, and 13 stolen bases.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]: 21-1 with a 0.95 ERA, 199 strikeouts in 132.1 innings pitched. 2022 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag]: 15-0 with a 0.99 ERA, 93 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched.

[autotag]Hope Trautwein[/autotag]: 18-1 with a 0.40 ERA, 141 strikeouts in 104.1 innings pitched.

No. 11 Northwestern Wildcats

Jordyn Rudd: .375 batting average with 8 home runs, 52 RBIs, 18 walks, and 13 stolen bases.

Rachel Lewis: .356 batting average with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, 43 walks,  and 26 stolen bases.

Skyler Shellmyer: .354 batting average with 1 home run, 8 RBIs, 22 walks, and 22 stolen bases.

Nikki Cuchran: .341 batting average with 8 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 13 walks.

Danielle Williams: 31-4 with a 1.86 ERA, 323 strikeouts in 241 innings pitched.

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LOOK: NCAA robbed Texas softball of special moment after advancing to CWS

These ladies deserve better.

Texas softball upset No. 4 Arkansas in game three of the super regionals on Saturday to advance to the Women’s College World Series. Continue reading “LOOK: NCAA robbed Texas softball of special moment after advancing to CWS”

Best photos of the Oklahoma Sooners WCWS-clinching 7-1 win over UCF

Check out the best photos from Oklahoma’s incredible WCWS-clinching win over the UCF Golden Knights on Saturday.

Everything’s gone right for Oklahoma Sooners since the start of the NCAA tournament. With their 7-1 win over the UCF Golden Knights, the Sooners clinched their sixth-straight appearance to the Women’s College World Series and their 12th overall.

They’ve outscored opponents 52-3 in five games.

On Saturday afternoon in a packed Marita Hynes Field, the Sooners were once again phenomenal. [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] threw a complete game, allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out four. She only allowed five baserunners all game and continued to reward Patty Gasso’s faith in the Sooners’ pitching staff minus Jordy Bahl.

[autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag] closed out her final appearance at Martia Hynes field in the same way she made her first home plate appearance in Norman; with a dinger. The reigning, defending National Player of the Year (in Bruce Buffer of the UFC voice), hit the 116th home run of her illustrious career and the 29th of the season.

Not to be outdone, [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] joined the 20-homer club, mashing two homers and picking up four RBIs, which would ultimately be the difference in the game.

At this point, the Sooners will be joined by Arizona, Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, and Oregon State. Those six await the winner of the Duke vs. UCLA Super Regional. Heading into their matchup on Saturday night, UCLA holds a 1-0 series lead. The other Super Regional still to be decided features Florida and Virginia Tech.

Florida is the only team remaining from the SEC with a chance to make the Women’s College World Series after the other eight teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament have been eliminated. The Gators and the Hokies are tied at one game a piece with the deciding game to come on Sunday.

But as the Super Regionals wrap up and give way to the Women’s College World Series, let’s take a look back at the Sooners dominant victory over UCF through these fantastic still photos.

Sooners advance to Women’s College World Series with 7-1 win over UCF

With four home runs, including two by Grace Lyons, the Oklahoma Sooners advanced to the Women’s College World Series with a 7-1 win vs. UCF.

For the second day, the Sooners opened their Super Regional matchup with UCF with a run in the first inning and then exploded in the middle frames to pick up the win.

With their 7-1 win over the Knights, the Sooners advance to the Women’s College World Series for the sixth straight year and 12th time in program history.

Nicole May pitched seven innings, picking up the complete-game win and the Sooners got four home runs Grace Lyons, who hit two, Jocelyn Alo, and Jana Johns.

Alo’s home run put a perfect stamp on a storied career. In what would be her final at-bat at Marita Hynes Field, the reigning National Player of the Year closed her career at home the way she started it, clearing the Marita Hynes fences.

After rounding the bases, Sooners fans continued standing, offering the OU legend a lengthy ovation. Alo answered the curtain call, waving to Sooner Nation to show her appreciation in her final game at home.

Jocelyn Alo put an exclamation point on a fantastic career in Norman as the Sooners continue their national title pursuit in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Though the 2022 season has been much about Jocelyn Alo’s last ride with the Sooners, Grace Lyons continues to be the biggest revelation of the year. Her two home runs and four RBIs proved to be the difference in the ball game.

Lyons now has 21 home runs on the season, joining Alo and Tiare Jennings to form the only trio in the nation with 20 or more home runs in 2022. Arkansas is the only other team that can boast multiple players in the 20-homer club.

May’s day started out rocky as she was forced to work around base runners in the early going before settling in to control the UCF lineup while the Sooners’ bats struggled to push runners around to home plate.

May and Hope Trautwein have been clutch for the Oklahoma Sooners since the Big 12 tournament, allowing Patty Gasso to rest Jordy Bahl. As the Sooners get ready for the College World Series, Bahl will have had three weeks of rest to recover from the soreness that’s kept her out.

It’s truly been a team performance for the Sooners who improved to 54-2 on the season and have allowed just three runs in NCAA tournament play, outscoring their opponents 52-3 this postseason. As they await the remainder of the Super Regional results, Oklahoma knows that Big 12 foes Texas and Oklahoma State will be joining them in Oklahoma City. The Longhorns and the Cowgirls are the only teams to get a win over the Sooners, though Oklahoma won the season series against the talented rivals.

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