Oklahoma sweeps Texas to win 2nd straight WCWS title

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kinzie Hansen and Grace Lyons hit three-run homers, Jayda Coleman made two spectacular defensive plays and top-seeded Oklahoma beat unseeded Texas, 10-5, on Thursday night to win its second straight Women’s College World Series title.

The Sooners (59-3) won the best-of-three series 2-0 after winning the opener, 16-1, on Wednesday.

Jocelyn Alo, the two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year who had been dominant throughout the World Series, hit a hard single in her final at-bat in the sixth inning and later scored. In the seventh, she stepped in to play left field and caught two fly balls for outs before leaving the game to a standing ovation. She ends her career with a Division I record 122 home runs.

It was Oklahoma’s sixth overall championship and fifth in the past nine World Series. There was no tournament in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oklahoma’s Jordy Bahl (22-1), the NFCA Freshman of the Year, settled down after a rough start. She allowed two runs and four hits in four innings.

Estelle Czech (13-2) started the game with three shutout innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth and fifth and was replaced.

Mia Scott hit a three-run homer and JJ Smith had two hits for the Longhorns (47-22-1), who had survived six elimination games in NCAA tournament play before Thursday night.

Oklahoma set a record with 17 home runs during the WCWS, breaking the mark of 15 it set last season.

It also set a record for total runs scored during the WCWS with 64.

The Sooners have now won six WCWS under Coach Patty Gasso, including four of the past seven.

Facing elimination in Game 2 of the championship series, Texas jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But Oklahoma center fielder Jayda Coleman limited the damage when she ran and reached over the fence to bring back a would-be, two-run homer.

Shortstop Grace Lyons added her own brilliant moment in the field when she plucked a ground ball deep in the hole to her right, dropped to one knee and flicked it to second base, where Tiare Jennings tapped the bag and threw to first to complete a double play.

After scoring two runs to tie the score in the fourth inning, Oklahoma’s bats finally sparked to life.

An Alyssa Brito double down the left-field line gave the Sooners a one-run lead.

Four pitches later, Kinzie Hansen hit a three-run homer over the left-field fence to break the game open. It was Hansen’s first home run since April 16.

After a Jennings sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, Lyons hit a three-run homer to extend the lead to eight.

Much more to come on this story.

The trophy hunting Sooners track down National Championship number SIX!!!

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