Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Underdogs? Takeaways from a convincing Sooners' Game 1 win in WCWS championship series

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma City, Okla., June 5, 2024 -- Oklahoma second baseman Tiare Jennings (23) hits a home run in the first inning of the first game of the Women’s College World Series softball championship series between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
Oklahoma City, Okla., June 5, 2024 -- Oklahoma second baseman Tiare Jennings (23) hits a home run in the first inning of the first game of the Women’s College World Series softball championship series between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY
facebooktwitterreddit

The dynasty that is Oklahoma softball over the past decade is one win away from a historic national championship 4-peat after defeating top-seeded Texas 8-3 in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series on Wednesday night.

The Sooners (58-7) followed up their three home run performance in defeating Florida the day before with three-more fence-clearing blasts against Texas, and Kelly Maxwell went the distance for the second day in a row, giving up just one earned run on four hits and striking out eight in a dominant performance.

Texas had blitzed its way into the championship series with three straight WCWS wins, all by shutout, and allowing just one hit in each of the three victories. OU's Tiare Jennings put an end to the Longhorns' scoreless streak, sending a pitch from Texas starter Teagan Kavan, a 20-game winner, far and deep into the left field stands to give the Sooners a quick 2-0 lead and stun the Texas faithful in attendance at OG&E Field at Devon Park (formerly Hall of Fame Stadium) in Oklahoma City.

Texas junior third baseman Mia Scott, batting second in the potent Longhorn lineup, powered a pitch from Maxwell over the wall down the right field line for a solo home run. That was the only hit and run Maxwell would allow until the Horns rallied for two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth.

Kinzie Hansen added to the Oklahoma advantage, launching a 2-1 pitch from Kavan into the left field seats. That was followed by a back-to-back jack off the bat of freshman Kasidi Pickering, and all of a sudden a one-run lead became a 5-1 margin.

OU posted single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to account for their eight-run total off of four Longhorn pitchers.

Oklahoma now leads the season series with Texas three games to two. The same two teams will continue the championship series on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN with the announce crew of Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza and Michelle Smith.

Texas needs a win to stay alive in its quest for a first national championship in softball. An Oklahoma win clinches the Sooners NCAA record fourth consecutive national title and eighth overall.

Four takeaways from OU's Game 1 win

  • Tiare Jennings, one of 10 seniors on the 2024 Sooner roster, got the party started in Game 1 of the championship series with a two-run bomb, her 25th of the season and 11th in her WCWS career. Jennings was two of four in the game with three RBI and a run scored, and to top it all off, Wednesday was her birthday.
  • Kelly Maxwell was magnificent in the circle for the second day in a row. Her pitching line in leading Oklahoma to complete game wins over No. 4 Florida and No. 1 Texas in as many days: six earned runs on eight hits, 16 strikeouts and nine walks on 267 pitches. She has gone the distance in each of her past three starts.
  • Texas has allowed an opponent to score as many as eight runs in a game just two times this season (12-10 in a loss to Houston in early March and a 9-8 win over Texas A&M in the Austin Super Regional).
  • Oklahoma has now beaten Texas 32 times in the last 35 meetings and is 5-0 against the Longhorns in the WCWS.
Home/OU softball