Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma softball: Notable numbers from Sooners’ Super Regional sweep

By Chip Rouse

Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners fans hold up a number one prior to the game against the Texas Longhorns during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners fans hold up a number one prior to the game against the Texas Longhorns during Red River rivalry at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Winning an NCAA Super Regional is very special. Oklahoma softball has reached that summit six times in the 13 years since the format was introduced in 2005. On Saturday, the Sooners had something else to celebrate along with the ticket they earned to the Women’s College World Series.

The series-clinching 5-2 Super Regional victory over the higher-seeded and host Auburn Tigers was the best birthday present OU head coach Patty Gasso’s team could have given her.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of this group, coming on the road and fighting hard to get to the College World Series,” Gasso said to reporters after the game. “We cam in as underdogs. We had everything to gain and nothing to lose, and they laid it out there and I couldn’t be any more excited and proud of this team.”

The Sooners had nothing to lose as the No, 10 seed to No. 7 Auburn and playing on the Tigers home field. But they are the defending national champions and that is something the Sooners very definitely would like to hold on to for at least another year.

It was the whole idea of being the defending national champions, however, that Gasso believes unnecessarily burdened her team and led to some of the ups and downs experienced earlier in the season.

“We let that go,” the OU head coach said. “That was part of our problem at the beginning of the season. Everybody was like, do it again, do it again. That whole defending the title thing was in our way, and we finally figured out how to let that go and just play.”

Since losing its opening game of the Norman Regional, the Sooners have gone 6-0 to earn their way back to the WCWS for a second straight year. Oklahoma, now 56-9 for the season, was 23-7 on March 18. Since then, however, they have gone 33-2.

Other notable numbers from Oklahoma’s Super Regional sweep of Auburn:

.429 – Junior Nicole Pendley’s batting average in the two games with Auburn. Pendley hit a giant three-run home run in the second inning of Saturday’s deciding game, giving the Sooners a 3-0 lead. She accounted for five of OU’s eight runs in the two wins over Auburn.

11 – Women’s College World Series appearances by the Oklahoma Sooners.

13 – OU has won 13 of its last 16 Super Regional contests since 2011.

15-11 – Oklahoma’s all-time record in the NCAA Super Regionals (introduced in 2005).

16 – Nicole Pendley’s second-inning home run on Saturday was her team-leading 16th the of season.

18-0 – The Sooners record this season in true road games.

28 – Consecutive true road games won by the Sooners, dating back to the 2016 season.

 

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