Oklahoma had little trouble racing through the Norman Regional and into the Super Regional against Clemson and if there was any doubt that the Sooners were going to have any letdown like that of No. 2 seeded UCLA, it was clearly not visible during the three straight wins last weekend.
The Sooners advance to their 13th consecutive and 15th overall NCAA Super Regional and will host the No. 16-seed Clemson Tigers (49-10, 18-6 ACC) this weekend in Norman with dates and times to be announced. TV designation is also to be determined across ESPN’s family of networks.
Meanwhile, up I-35 in Stillwater, Oklahoma State also claimed the title in its home regional but the Cowgirls had to rally in the seventh inning to earn a 5-2 victory over Nebraska Sunday afternoon. The Cowgirls will host Oregon
With the win, OSU improved to 44-14, while Nebraska fell to 36-22. As the No. 6 national seed, Oklahoma State will host the NCAA Super Regional in Stillwater next weekend, against Oregon, which advanced from the Fayetteville Regional. Game times and TV designations are set to be announced when available.
Oklahoma State extended its NCAA Regional winning streak to 12 games with the win today, all of which have happened at the NCAA Stillwater Regional.
Sooners use long ball in big win
Six home runs powered No. 1 Oklahoma past California, 16-3, and into the program’s 13th consecutive NCAA Super Regional Sunday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.
A quartet of first-inning homers from Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito, Cydney Sanders and Jocelyn Erickson paved the way for Oklahoma’s complete performance as the Sooners jumped in front 6-0 after one. It marked the third time this season OU has hit four blasts in one frame.
Another Jennings home run in the second inning made it 7-0 Sooners after just two frames, marking the two-time All-American’s first multi-HR game of 2023 and second in her postseason career.
A seven-run third inning continued to put the game out of reach as doubles from Jennings and Jayda Coleman, paired with a second home run from Brito pushed OU 14 runs in front of Cal (35-21-1). The second Brito blast marked her second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of her career.
The Sooners’ six home runs tied an NCAA tournament record for single-game homers, with the feat done six times in NCAA Division I softball history, three of which were Oklahoma (2021 Regional Final vs. Wichita State [5/23]; 2022 WCWS vs. Texas [6/8]).
The Bears scored a trio of runs in the bottom of the third inning, but Grace Lyons and Quincee Lilio plated a pair of runs at the top of the fourth to make it 16-3, a score that held as Nicole May (1.1 IP) and Kierston Deal (1.0 IP) closed the game out.
Jennings paced OU at the plate in a perfect 4-for-4, four RBI performance, tying a program NCAA tourney record for single-game hits (done nine times). Brito finished 2-for-3 with a team-best and career-high five RBIs. Twelve Sooners recorded a hit in the game with seven bringing in at least one run.
Alex Storako got the start in the circle, throwing two and two-thirds innings, surrendering five hits and three earned runs with one walk and one strikeout. Nicole May earned the win in relief, throwing one and a third innings and allowing no hits with one strikeout to improve to 18-0 on the season. Deal closed the game, throwing a hitless fifth inning with one strikeout.
Cowgirls strike late to advance
A dramatic four-run seventh inning propelled the No. 6 national seed Oklahoma State Softball team to a 5-2 comeback victory over Nebraska, Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium.
After her double-digit strikeout performance in game one of the Stillwater Regional, coach Kenny Gajewski turned to Kelly Maxwell once again. The southpaw maintained her momentum into today’s contest, collecting seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work.
Playing as the designated away team in today’s contest, the Pokes nearly took the lead in the top of the first inning after loading the bases, but OSU couldn’t capitalize and the game remained scoreless.
Both teams were held off the scoreboard until the fourth inning, when OSU broke through and took the lead. Freshman Tallen Edwards tallied her 25th RBI of the season with a double that scored Morgyn Wynne and put the Cowgirls on top, 1-0.
Nebraska took the lead in the fifth inning, capitalizing on two wild pitches from reliever Lexi Kilfoyl to put the Cornhuskers ahead, 2-1.
Down to their final two outs in the top of the seventh, the Pokes began their comeback bid.
Edwards got on base with a single and advanced to second after pinch-hitter Katie Lott notched a base hit of her own. Following a base on balls from Megan Bloodworth, OSU’s leadoff hitter, Rachel Becker, came through with a two-RBI single to put the Cowgirls back in front, 3-2.
Another single loaded the bases for Kiley Naomi, who notched an RBI as she reached base from a Nebraska fielding error. The Pokes capped off the four-run seventh with an RBI groundout from Micaela Wark, extending the lead to 5-2.
Kilfoyl, who went 2.2 innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts, kept the Cornhuskers off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh and secured the victory.
Oklahoma State outscored its opponents in the NCAA Stillwater Regional 20-2, including a run-rule victory over UMBC on Friday evening.
Edwards’ fourth-inning double elevated the 2023 Cowgirls’ team total to 100, which marks the first time in program history that OSU has tallied triple-digit two-baggers.
With five RBI in today’s win, the Pokes have totaled 333 RBI on the year, which is also for a new program record, passing the mark set in 2021 of 330 RBI.
