Oklahoma softball sweeps No. 7 Cowgirls for 10th straight Big 12 title

The top-ranked Oklahoma softball team hosted No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the final Big 12 series of the season.

The two national powers came in tied atop of the Big 12 standings in a showdown that would decide the winner of the league, much like it did a year ago.

The Sooners found themselves challenged in a three-game series in a way they had not experienced this season. All three games would go the full 7 innings, but Oklahoma ultimately found themselves in the victory circle all three days

Ostensibly n deference to Mother’s Day on Sunday, the first game of the series took place on Thursday. Oklahoma won 7-1. The Sooners nearly had the game won by run rule, but the umpires inexplicably called Rylie Boone out at first base when video replay showed she was clearly safe. Even the gift of replay was unable to change the mind of the umps, so the game extended to a full seven innings.

Neither Oklahoma nor Oklahoma State scored in the 6th or 7th. Jordy Bahl pitched a complete game and fanned six while allowing just four hits. Tiare Jennings had a home run in the game for the Sooners, her 22nd of the season.

Jana Johns wowed us with this defensive gem:

Friday’s game went the full seven innings as well, and Oklahoma absolutely dominated it from start to finish. The Sooners outhit the Cowgirls seven to three, and beat them 6-0.

Hope Trautwein continues to keep teams off the scoreboard. Grace Lyons’ bat remained red hot with a home run in the 5th inning.  Kinzie Hansen really got things going in the 3rd with an RBI double.

With Friday’s win Oklahoma clinched the Big 12 regular-season championship for the 10th consecutive time.  OU also extended its Big 12 series win streak to a mind-blowing 65.

Saturday’s game meant a great deal more for Oklahoma State than it did for Oklahoma. The Sooners had clinched the Big 12 and they will no doubt the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Softball Championship.

The Cowgirls on the other hand are still in a fight with a few other programs for a top-eight NCAA seed. A win over the Sooners could have gone a long way toward cementing that.

Instead, the Cowgirls, who had not won a game in Norman since 1997, dropped their fifth game in a row. (three to Oklahoma and two last weekend to Florida State).  Oklahoma State led 2-1 going into the 5th inning on Saturday, and it appeared for a while that the Cowgirls might be able to salvage a game in the series and win for just the second time in the last 30 games against their in-state rivals,

But NCAA home-run queen Jocelyn Alo put an end to that notion with a grand slam home run, driving in four runs and quickly changing the score from 2-1 Oklahoma State to 5-2 in favor of the Sooners.

Alo’s slam turned around the game for the Sooners. OSU mounted a serious threaten in the sixth inning, however, when Hope Trautwein, who entered the game in relief for starter Nicole May to record the final out in the fifth inning, walked four consecutive OSU batters, allowing the Cowgirls to narrow the OU lead to 5-3. Trautwein was replaced by the starter May, who came in to shut down the threat with a strikeout and a groundout preventing any further damage and stranding three Cowgirl baserunners.

Oklahoma was on fire defensibly! Recording three double plays on the day, including this sensational play made by Grace Lyons.

Oklahoma will take on the winner of Iowa State and Baylor on Friday in Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City as part of the Big 12 Championship. Being the No. 1 seed, the Sooners have a bye to start the Big 12 postseason tournament.

There is a good chance that the Sooners and Cowgirls could meet once again in the title game of the Big 12 Championship, which would be next Saturday.