Oklahoma softball: Sooners outlast Clemson, advance to 7th straight WCWS

No. 1-seeded Oklahoma literally seized victory from the jaws of defeat, scoring three runs with two out in the seventh inning to tie the game against Clemson before winning it in the ninth on a home run by Tiare Jenning, giving the Sooners an 8-7 series-clinching victory in the Norman Super Regional on Saturday.

Clemson led in the game 7-4 after scoring seven unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings combined to erase a 4-0 Oklahoma advantage. The Sooners led off the game with back-to-back home runs from Jayda Coleman and Jennings, two of five fence-clearing blasts by the high-octane OU lineup. The seven runs scored by Clemson were the most against Oklahoma all season.

None of the Oklahoma long balls was bigger than the three-run blast by senior catcher Kinzie Hansen, who, down to her final strike and with two outs in the top of the seventh, launched a bomb over the left-field fence that sucked the breath and the life out of a Clemson team that was ready to explode in celebration in what would have been the Tigers first ever Super Regional win.

With the game tied, Sooner head coach Patty Gasso turned to Jordy Bahl, who started and won the opening game of the Super Regional, in the bottom of the seventh to hold down Clemson in the hopes that the Sooners could rally and win the game in extra innings.

The OU sophomore right-hander did her job, and then some, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced over the final three innings.

Alyssa Brito homered deep to center field in the fourth to put the Sooners up 3-0. A bases-loaded ground out by pinch-hitter Sophia Nugent in the same inning scored Quincee Lilio from third with OU’s fourth run of the game.

Maddie Moore hit a three-run home run for Clemson in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the Oklahoma lead to one, 4-3. In the fifth, McKenzie Clark hit one out of the park, scoring two runs, and the Tigers added two more before the inning was over to take a 7-4 lead.

The victory sets a new NCAA record with Oklahoma winning its 48th consecutive game. The Sooners also have won 64 consecutive home games at Marita Hynes Field, which will close after this game and 25 seasons as the home of OU softball. The Sooners will move into a brand new facility, Loves Field, beginning next season.

Oklahoma now heads to the Women’s College World Series for the seventh straight season with a chance to make some more history as only the second team to win three straight national championships.