WCWS: Oklahoma Sooners Walk Off With Game 1 Win

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team has rolled over everyone in the postseason (and regular season as well), even run-ruling five of their seven postseason opponents. However, when they faced the Tennessee Volunteers in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), the met a team that was not ready to go down without a fight. What they had to do was win the game in 12 innings, by a score of 5-3.

The first game of the WCWS finals was scoreless through regulation and then started to drift into extra innings with no scoring as well. It wasn’t until the 11th inning that someone finally put points on the board, and that was Tennessee with a three-run homer that made it look like the Sooners winning streak was ending.

Then, the suddenly human Oklahoma Sooners softball team became legendary once again. Kelaini Ricketts, who threw an astonishing 188 pitches in this game, came up to bat in the 11th and hit a popup that fell fair thanks to the wind, helping her pull out a double. Next up, Brittany Williams hit a double to the wall that scored Ricketts. Erica Sampson came in to run for Williams and moved to third, but with two outs, things looked bleak for the Sooners.

Destinee Martinez came up and made it interesting when she blasted a triple to make the score 302 and then Callie Parsons hit a double that tied the score at three.

Ricketts never seemed to be bothered by her high pitch count. In the 12th, she took out all three batters, the first to a line out, the second she grabbed the put out herself, and the third was a KO.

Then, in the bottom of the 12th, the Oklahoma Sooners softball team proved why they are the best team in the country.

Brianna Turang led off with a big double. That brought up Lauren Chamblerlain and she proved why she is the best hitter in softball right now when she crushed a home run over the left field wall to score the winning runs with an amazing WCWS walk-off home run.

That puts the Oklahoma Sooners softball team one win away from the national championship in the WCWS. The question of whether they are tired, or whether Kelaini Ricketts will be able to pitch after her 188 pitch game, was answered by Ricketts after the game. Will Ricketts pitch on Tuesday night?

“Of course,” she said. “It’s the national championship.”