The Oklahoma Sooners are doing what dynasties do.
The No. 2 Sooners dominated No. 15 Alabama with a 13-2 run-rule win on Saturday at Love's Field to sweep the Super Regional series and advance to their ninth straight Women's College World Series as four-time defending national champions. OU has the longest active streak in the country for trips to the WCWS.
Sooners sweep Alabama in Super Regionals to go back to WCWS
The tone was set when Abigale Dayton singled up the middle to score Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and gave OU the first blow in the second inning. That seemed to foreshadow the unavoidable as the Sooners entered the game 35-2 this season when scoring first.
It was then certain the Sooners would get to defend their title in OKC after exploding for eight runs in the third to put the run-rule into effect if Kierston Deal continued to shut down the Crimson Tide. The onslaught started with freshman Gabbie Garcia's two-run shot before OU continued to hit runs in without another long ball.
Alabama didn't lay down, though, and answered in the bottom half of the inning with a homer from Kali Heivilin, then Marlie Giles hit another solo shot in the fourth to put the run-rule in jeopardy at 9-2.
But the Sooners are inevitable. Ella Parker hit a home run over right field to reinstate the run-rule at 10-2. Then Garcia hit her second homer of the day, assuring her first trip to the WCWS. But that wasn't all. Garcia had the dagger, then McEnroe-Marinas twisted the knife with a third solo shot of the inning.
Another freshman, Audrey Lowry, then replaced Deal in the circle and took care of the rest while keeping Alabama off the board.
The dominance just continued what the Sooners have done all postseason while winning seven in a row since the start of the SEC Softball Tournament. During the NCAA Softball Championship between Regionals and Super Regionals, OU has outscored opponents 47-5 while sweeping through competition to the WCWS.
The Sooners were the second of an eventual eight teams to punch their tickets to OKC. Texas Tech was the first after sweeping Florida State on Friday.
OU will start its quest for a fifth straight title against a familiar foe no matter the outcome in Super Regionals. The Sooners await the winner of Tennessee and Nebraska. OU lost to Tennessee in an SEC series during the regular season and Nebraska is anchored by former Sooner Jordy Bahl.
The Women's College World Series will start on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
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