Oklahoma
Oklahoma softball tops Texas, completes sweep in Women’s College World Series championship
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma made college softball history Thursday night at the expense of its most despised rival.
The Sooners (59-7) became the first Division I softball team in NCAA history to win four consecutive national titles with a wild 8-4 win over Texas in the second game of the best-of-three championship series at the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. The Sooners won the first game 8-3 on Wednesday.
Texas (55-10), which edged OU for the Big 12’s regular-season championship and earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, ended arguably its best season in school history by falling to Oklahoma for the second time in three seasons in the WCWS championship series.
More: Texas softball’s fixes in WCWS final must come immediately, and the Horns know it | Bohls
After the game, Texas coach Mike White acknowledged Oklahoma’s dominance while hoping his young squad absorbs some hard-earned lessons.
“It’s an incredible feat,” White said. “We know how tough it is just to get here, let alone win four. It’s an amazing achievement, especially for those classmen that were freshmen and now have four rings. That’s something that drives all of us to get better, to be able to come back and win.”
The teams traded the lead four times through a wild first four innings, and Texas seemed on the verge of reclaiming the lead in the sixth in a dramatic standoff between two of the Big 12’s best players. With Oklahoma clinging to a 5-3 lead and All-Big 12 third baseman Mia Scott at the plate for Texas, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso turned to ace Kelly Maxwell, who didn’t start for the first time in three games for the Sooners. Scott ripped a shot to first baseman Cydney Sanders and beat the throw as Joley Mitchell crossed home plate to trim OU’s lead to one run.
More: Reactions to Texas softball losing to Oklahoma in WCWS Final: ‘Texas will be back’
But in a bizarre sequence, Scott ran though first base and danced toward second while drawing the attention of the Sooners. Second baseman Avery Hodge then flipped the ball to Sanders, who tagged out Scott at first for the third out, which left shortstop Vivi Martinez stranded on third.
“I saw Mia Scott kind of come off the bag,” said Maxwell, who was voted the WCWS most outstanding player after going 3-0 while throwing 27 innings and allowing nine earned runs. “I was just telling Avery, ‘Turn around, turn around, let’s get her, c’mon!’ She finally heard me. We got it done. It was huge. I mean, they definitely had the momentum in that moment.”
Scott wasn’t available to talk to the media, but White said the play personifies the fearless style of play that has helped make her a three-time all-conference selection.
“That’s part of how she is; she’s really aggressive,” he said. “She pushes the envelope a lot of times. This time it didn’t work out. No one feels worse than Mia Scott right now. Everything happens for a reason. She’s cheeky. That’s part of her MO. That’s what she does. It was a big moment in that game. Everybody knows it. She’s already beaten herself up. I know she is. Hopefully she learns from that.”
Oklahoma dispensed with any more drama down the stretch. The Sooners put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth, and Maxwell shut the door in the seventh with three straight outs.
The Sooners ended the game with 12 hits and the championship series with 21 total hits. Texas tallied its most runs against Oklahoma in six games this season, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Sooners from making history.
Oklahoma
Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.
OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.
One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
At this time no cause has been reported.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma
Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins
NORMAN — Bowl season is a bit unconventional for Navy.
The Midshipmen annually play against Army six days after the bowl schedule is released. That was the case this year, as Navy beat the Black Knights 31-13 on Dec. 14.
Beating Army is always a highlight for the Midshipmen. But the drawback for them is that they have less time than their bowl opponent to prepare for the game.
In this case, that’s Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the game with more than two weeks of preparation for Navy’s triple-option offense.
“It’s just a little different,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters earlier this week. “They’ve known they’re going to play us for a little time now.”
Navy Coach, Oklahoma Native Brian Newberry Grew Up On OU Football
Navy does, however, enter the Armed Forces Bowl with momentum.
The Midshipmen (9-3) eased past Army last week in Landover, MD. They outgained the Black Knights 384-179 and forced Army quarterback Bryson Daily to throw three interceptions.
Navy’s rivalry win was its third in the last four games after the Midshipmen went on a two-game skid in the middle of the season. Newberry cited his team’s physicality in recent games, particularly in the Midshipmen’s drubbing of Army.
“I was so impressed with how our kids handled the moment,” Newberry said. “Army’s a really, really good football team. I thought we physically dominated the game in the way that we blocked, beat blocks, the way we tackled. I thought we outplayed them in all three phases, so I’m really, really proud of that.”
A stark difference between the teams is the number of players that have entered the transfer portal.
The Sooners have seen 25 players from their 2024 team enter the portal. The Midshipmen have suffered only one departure in the winter portal window with defensive back Lorenzo Vitti.
On one hand, that makes Oklahoma preparation tough for Navy.
“It’s interesting,” Newberry said. “We’re going through their two-deep and trying to figure out who’s going to play and who isn’t. It’s a little bit of a challenge in that regard. And it could certainly change with a different quarterback.”
But largely, the Midshipmen’s lack of transfers gives Newberry confidence that his team will be bought in for one more game in 2024.
“The portal can affect us, players can jump in the portal — we’re not getting that,” Newberry said. “It’s challenging to build a culture anywhere in college football right now, one that’s built on a certain level of trust. They know each other really, really well. They’ve fought through adversity. They stay the course, they pay the price and they have an opportunity.”
Navy will also play for more than just another win; the Midshipmen are looking to make history.
Navy has reached the 10-win mark just four times in program history. The Midshipmen did so three times under former coach Ken Niumatalolo from 2009-2019.
Having a shot at history while playing Oklahoma — the state that Newberry hails from — excites the coach.
“It’s the last time that this team gets to play together,” Newberry said. “They want to go out the right way against a storied program like Oklahoma. It’s a great reward to play in a bowl game, but it’s a game we want to win.”
The Midshipmen and Sooners will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Sees Armed Forces Bowl as Growth Opportunity
As Danny Stutsman departs from Oklahoma, Kip Lewis seems to be the next man up.
A redshirt sophomore linebacker in 2024, Lewis was one of the Sooners’ better defenders. In addition to his 28 solo tackles, Lewis intercepted two passes, running both of them back for touchdowns.
Lewis hopes to be the leader that Stutsman was over his four years at OU. But his goal isn’t to be a Stutsman clone.
“I feel like I’m my own player and my own leader in how I do things,” Lewis said. “Danny’s a great player, great leader. Taught me everything I need to know. I think I’m just my own person. I don’t think I need to step into his role and be the Danny. There’s only one.”
Lewis played and started in all 12 of the Sooners’ games in the 2024 season. It was his second season as a regular on OU’s defense after playing in just two games as a true freshman.
In Oklahoma’s first season as an SEC squad, Lewis and his defensive counterparts saw plenty of offensive stars. Between Garrett Nussmeier at LSU and Quinn Ewers at Texas, there was never really a dull moment for the Sooners during conference play.
Lewis will see a different type of challenge at the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy.
WATCH: Navy HC Brian Newberry Ahead of Armed Forces Bowl vs. Oklahoma
The Midshipmen — like the other service academies — run a triple-option offense. While Navy, Army and Air Force struggle to get the highly-touted recruits that other programs draw, the unconventional offense sets them apart.
Thankfully for Lewis, this style of offense isn’t new.
“I’m a little used to it. So it’s been a minute since I played it, but it brought me back to my roots playing the Wing-T. There’s a team called Pleasant Grove out there in Texas, so they used to give me a run for my money back in the day.”
Navy finished the regular season 9-3. The Midshipmen started the season 6-0 before losing three times in a four-game span.
They ended the season well, though, beating both East Carolina and Army by double digits to end the regular season.
Lewis and multiple of his teammates tuned in as the Midshipmen beat Army in the annual rivalry game.
“They showed a lot of fight, a lot of grit,” Lewis said. “I think that’s an important key into playing football.”
Lewis will play only one more game as an underclassman. Then, he’ll step into the role of other defensive leaders the Sooners have seen recently, whether that’s Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr., Woodi Washington or others.
Games like the Armed Forces Bowl will help him get there.
“Just always having to bring my best effort every day,” Lewis said. “Just bringing everything I’ve got. Just every day, I bring my value into whatever that is, whatever I’ve gotta do for my team. I think it’ll be a big role.”
The Sooners will battle the Midshipmen on Dec. 27 in Fort Worth. The game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
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