Oklahoma Softball: OU Responds With Emphatic Win Over UCLA, Advances to Championship Series
OKLAHOMA CITY — Championship teams respond.
That’s exactly what Patty Gasso’s defending champs did on Monday.
A short 30 minutes after facing their first setback of the Women’s College World Series, the top-seeded Sooners roared back against UCLA.
In the third at-bat of the game, Tiare Jennings fired an emphatic three-run shot to dead center field, reasserting OU’s dominance at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
After seeing Jayda Coleman and Jocelyn Alo reach base to start the game off, Jennings said she knew she had a golden opportunity to give her team a dream start.
“The game of softball doesn't know if you are 0-for-3 or 3-for-3,” Jennings said after the second game. “I just flushed (Game 1).
“I knew when Jayda and Jocy got on, I knew I had to do whatever it took. Whether it was a home run, sac fly or anything. I knew it was my time to step in and help them score and, again, keep passing the bat.”
Oklahoma’s onslaught never relented as the Sooners trounced the Bruins 15-0 in five innings to clinch a spot in Wednesday’s championship series.
Even after the defeat in Game 1, Oklahoma never panicked.
“We were just in the locker room just kind of resetting,” Alo said after the game, “and I went into that game with all the confidence knowing we would walk out of it with the W. No one beats us — no one beats the Sooners twice.”
Jennings’ bomb merely served as a warning shot toward the Bruins, as Alo took the game over in the second inning.
OU first baseman Taylon Snow led the second inning off with a single, and Rylie Boone followed her aboard with a bunt single of her own before Alo stepped into the box.
On the first pitch she saw from UCLA pitcher Megan Faraimo, Alo obliterated the softball.
Career home run No. 119 for Alo landed far beyond the left field wall, nearly hitting a lemonade truck sitting well beyond the supposed line of fire at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Gasso said she wasn’t surprised by her team’s response, as they’ve been stellar all year long rebounding from a defeat.
“They are very prideful, and they truly do believe that no one can beat them back-to-back or twice, period,” Gasso said. “That's the way they think. So they came out very calm, very cool, very -- when we knew who was pitching, they were kind of excited. Like, okay, we know — we've seen it. We're ready. They just felt very confident.”
Six runs in hand, Hope Trautwein fired the Sooners (57-3) across the finish line.
The talented right-hander held UCLA (51-10) to just two hits across the five innings of work, striking out six Bruins and issuing zero walks.
Alo tacked on another run for good measure in the fourth inning.
The OU super senior ripped a dribbler to center field, and UCLA’s Maya Brady fumbled the ball, allowing it to roll toward the wall.
Coleman, coming from first base, rounded third and slid home safely to put OU up 7-0.
The Sooners weren’t going to stop until they secured the run rule.
Oklahoma loaded the bases in the fifth inning with no outs, pinch-hitter Grace Green delivered.
Green bounced a single up the middle to bring one run in, and Rylie Boone followed her up with a two-run single to extend Oklahoma’s advantage to 10-0.
Coleman drew bases-loaded walk, bringing Alo back up with OU up 11-0.
And there would only be one result: Alo launched a grand slam.
In what could have been the final game of her illustrious career, Alo hit a perfect 4-for-4 with seven RBIs.
Gasso said she didn’t have to bring up the stakes of the contest, as she knew her team would be in the right mindset to try and punch their ticket back to the WCWS finals.
“Our season could be over,” she said. “And we didn't even say that, but I think that drove them because they don't want to end. They would not do well ending with a loss here today.”
The Sooners will now have Tuesday off ahead of the WCWS championship series.
Oklahoma State and Texas loom in the other semifinal, as there will be an All-Big 12 National Championship to cap off the 2022 softball season.
Championship series Game 1 will start on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and the contest will air on ESPN.
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