OU Softball: Oklahoma Gets Unexpected Long Balls to Drop Duke

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kinzie Hansen, you expect.

When the Oklahoma captain hits a home run at Devon Park, formerly USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, it’s dramatic, but feels almost standard by now.

Thursday in OU’s 9-1 victory over Duke in the first round of the Women’s College World Series, Hansen did it again, mashing her sixth career WCWS home run, which ranks third all-time.

WCWS Career Home Runs (Kinzie Hansen just moved up)

But then something unexpected happened.

Alynah Torres followed Hansen’s third-inning home run with one of her own.

“I think we're just playing loose, having fun,” Torres said, “knowing that this is our last week together as a team and really taking it in, playing free passing the bat and just having fun.”

And then Cydney Sanders did something even more unexpected.

She ripped a two-run shot in the fourth inning, kicking the OU offense into gear and orchestrating a day one rout.

“The ball finally dropped today, so that's very exciting for me,” Sanders said. “I’ve been working very hard with my teammates.”

Torres and Sanders transferred to Oklahoma prior to the 2023 season after starring at Arizona State. Their outstanding defense has kept them in the lineup, even though their offensive numbers have lagged at times the last two years.

But there was no lagging on Thursday.

“Since they've been here, they've really been trying to be the hitters that they were at Arizona State before they got here,” coach Patty Gasso said. “And it really doesn't matter to me what you've done through the season. This is where everyone's gonna remember it. So for a year, they get another redo.”

Sanders hadn’t hit a home run since April 16, and she only had three in the month of April after hitting 10 in February and March. Her batting average dipped from .395 on March 12 to .248 heading into Thursday.

Torres hadn’t hit a home run since April 19, and she’d only hit one since March 28. Her batting average reached .417 on March 23, but has been on a steady decline since then to .333 going into the WCWS.

“I'm really proud of these two, they've been working really hard,” Hansen said. “Like Cyd said, that (pitching) machine was brutal. Alynah has been putting in a lot of extra work. So I'm just really really proud and really happy for them.”

Torres now has nine blasts on the season, while Sanders has 14.

Oklahoma went into the series with four batters hitting .400 or better, two others right on the cusp of .400, and another just below. So getting major offensive contributions from two players who have been in a prolonged slump is a significant development for Patty Gasso’s prodigious lineup.

“The depth of our lineup is something that is so impressive to me,” Hansen said. “One through nine, I think everybody got on base today, whether it was a hit or a walk every single person in the starting lineup was on base today. And I think that that just goes to show that our work ethic pays off day in and day out. We challenge ourselves every single day.”

The Sooners were a little handcuffed in the early stages of Thursday’s game by Duke left hander Cassidy Curd, with just three hits in their first 11 at-bats.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils led 1-0 on a home run by Francesca Frelick off OU starter Kelly Maxwell in the second inning.

The Oklahoma offense needed a spark, and after Jayda Coleman opened the third inning with a sharp single to center, it was Hansen who got them going.

Tiare Jennings and Ella Parker both struck out, and OU faced the very real possibility of leaving yet another baserunner stranded (they left one in the first inning and two in the second). But Hansen — Kinzie Clutch, some call her — came through to put the Sooners up 2-1.

After Alyssa Brito walked, Torres hit a 1-1 pitch off Jala Wright into the seats beyond the left field wall for a 4-1 lead.

Then in the fourth inning, Rylie Boone led off with a bunt single down the third base line, bringing up Sanders. Sanders took ball one from Wright, then turned on an off-speed pitch, sending the softball over the left-center wall to make it 6-1.

“Nobody can do this by themselves,” Hansen said. “Not one person on this team can step in that box and win the World Series by themselves. It's going to take all 21 of us to get the job done and to keep working hard and to keep pressing forward.”

OU will press forward into Saturday, when the No. 2-seeded Sooners take on UCLA at 2 p.m.