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.