Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Ride Explosive Fifth Inning to Beat Texas

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s offense can solely be contained for thus lengthy.

After Texas pitcher Hailey Dolcini stored the Sooners comparatively beneath wraps for 4 innings Saturday, OU lastly discovered a significant breakthrough.

Punctuated by a towering Tiare Jennings residence run, the Sooners rode a four-run fifth inning to energy previous the Longhorns 7-2 at Corridor of Fame Stadium.

The best way the sport began, it seemed just like the Oklahoma avalanche would come from the onset.

OU (56-2) wanted simply two batters to place a pair of runs on the board.

Jayda Coleman opened the sport with a double, and Jocelyn Alo smacked a two-run residence run to left discipline to place the Sooners in entrance within the first inning.

Texas (44-20-1) instantly responded, nonetheless, slicing the deficit in half within the backside of the primary.

Longhorn shortstop Alyssa Washington supplied the scoring punch, as she ripped a screamer simply previous OU third baseman Jana Johns’ glove to plate Mia Scott.

With the rating at 2-1 in Oklahoma’s favor, each pitchers settled into the sport.

Dolcini retired 9 straight OU batters after surrendering the house run, and gave the impression to be placing in one other gem of a efficiency towards the explosive Oklahoma lineup.

Dolcini’s counterpart within the circle, OU’s Hope Trautwein, was regular as nicely.

After permitting the run within the first inning, no Texas baserunner reached second base off Trautwein till the sixth inning.

Oklahoma’s tremendous senior was particularly wonderful with first base occupied, because the Longhorns hit a dismal 2-for-13 with runners aboard, primarily erasing the six hits and two walks Trautwein allowed.

However Dolcini’s fortunes modified within the fifth inning.

OU proper fielder Rylie Boone led off the body with a bunt single, and Johns instantly moved Boone over to second with a sacrifice bunt.

Coleman then returned for her second double of the sport, bouncing the ball off the precise discipline wall to plate Boone and add to the Sooner lead.

Alo then returned to additional torment Dolcini.

The Sooner slugger ripped a single up the center, and the throw to the plate was too gradual for a play on Coleman. Oklahoma’s middle fielder slid in safely at residence, extending the benefit to 4-1.

Oklahoma’s offensive flurry had the gang at Corridor of Fame Stadium on their ft, and Texas head coach Mike White felt he had seen sufficient. White changed Dolcini within the circle with true freshman Sophia Simpson, a lot to the enjoyment of OU’s Jennings.

Final yr’s NFCA Freshman of the Yr then baptized Simpson to the Girls’s Faculty World Collection atmosphere, launching a towering two-run homer that almost cleared the highest rows of the left discipline bleachers, pushing the result in 6-1.

Within the backside half of the inning, Trautwein was a fielding error away from retiring the Longhorns so as, making certain the momentum stayed firmly in OU’s nook.

Alyssa Brito put the competition additional out of attain, as her RBI single introduced Alo residence and put OU up 7-1 within the prime of the seventh inning.

Longhorn second baseman Janae Jefferson hit a solo residence run within the backside of the seventh for the ultimate tally. 

Trautwein closed out the win, finishing seven innings of motion. 

Now 2-0 on the WCWS, Oklahoma could have Sunday off.

The Sooners look ahead to the losers bracket to work itself out, they usually’ll return to motion on Monday. From there, OU will simply want one win to punch its ticket again to the championship sequence.

Oklahoma’s subsequent recreation is Monday at 11 a.m. on ESPN. 

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