Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma softball: Sooners make short work of UCF with 8-0 no-hitter

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates in front of Lynnsie Elam (22) after scoring a run in the first inning of a softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Texas A&M in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May 22, 2022.Ncaa Norman Regional
Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates in front of Lynnsie Elam (22) after scoring a run in the first inning of a softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Texas A&M in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May 22, 2022.Ncaa Norman Regional /
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The top-seeded Oklahoma softball team is one win away from getting back to the Women’s College World Series to defend its 2021 national championship.

The WCWS has been like home to the Sooners in recent seasons, and the No. 16 UCF Knights are the only thing standing in the way of Oklahoma making its sixth straight WCWS appearance and 15th since 2000.

OU starting pitcher Hope Trautwein, who transferred to Oklahoma from North Texas in the offseason, threw her second no-hitter of the season and fourth of her college career as the Sooners rolled to an 8-0 run-rule win over the visitors from Central Florida.

Oklahoma jumped out to a quick 1-0 advantage in the first inning and then broke things open in the second, scoring five more times, the key hit a three-run homer to center field by Jocelyn Alo, her 28th of the season, to open a 6-0 lead. Alo extended her NCAA career record with the 116th round-tripper of her sensational career.

Alo’s home run gave her another program record. It was her 329th hit as a Sooner, breaking the record held by Nicole Dickson (2004-07).

OU finished things off with two more runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Kinzie Hansen, scoring Grace Lyons, and a double in the gap in right center that brought home Alyssa Brito.

Trautwein faced just 17 UCF batters in five innings, two over the minimum, and allowed just three base runners, all of whom reached base on a walk.  OU pitchers have allowed one run or fewer in 46 of 55 games this season and have posted a program-record 32 shutouts. This was the 38th run-rule win for the Sooners this season.

Oklahoma improved its season record to a Division I best 53-2. The reigning national champions have won 109 of their last 115 games and 73 of those victories have come by run rule.

The Sooners and UCF will face each other in Game 2 of the best-of-three Super Regional at 1:3 p.m. Saturday at Marita Hynes Field in Norman. If OU wins, they will advance to the Women’s College World Series as the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.

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