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No. 1 Oklahoma in Women's College World Series semifinals
Oklahoma earned its 50th consecutive win in style.
Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen homered, and No.1-seeded Oklahoma beat No.4-seeded Tennessee 9-0 in five innings on Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series.
The Sooners (58-1) closed in on a potential third straight national title and extended their record for consecutive Division I wins. The team set the record for most consecutive wins after being ranked 48th in the super regionals. But Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said after Saturday's game that the team still had its sights set on the bigger prize.
Oklahoma played like a team on a mission. Starter Jordy Bahl allowed one hit: a double to Kiki Milloy, the leadoff hitter of the game. Bahl pitched 3⅔ innings, walked one and struck out three to earn the win. Reliever Alex Storako, Kierston Deal and Nicole May allowed no hits.
Tennessee (50-9) will look to bounce back in a playoff game against No. 6 Oklahoma State on Sunday. The Lady Vols will try to forget about being completely dominated by the Sooners, barring some spectacular plays from Milloy.
Tennessee opted not to pitch to Ashley Rogers, an American first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She and No. 2 pitcher Payton Gottshall watched rookie pitcher Karlyn Pickens get the nod.
The decision soon paid off. Pickens escaped a goal-laden traffic jam in the first inning and didn't allow a run.
He couldn't escape in a second. Jennings drove a changeup over the fence from left field to put the Sooners up 3-0, and Pickens was subbed.
Hansen's line drive went over the fence at third for a two-run home run that gave Oklahoma a 5–0 lead.
The Sooners would have had more, but Milloy caught one against the fence to deny Sophia Nugent a home run in the fourth.
Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Florida State held on to beat No. 7 Washington 3-1 on Saturday night to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the Women's College World Series.
Reliever Kathryn Sandercock allowed one run and six hits in 5⅔ innings for the win.
Devyn Flaherty had two hits and two runs for the Seminoles (57-9), who will play the winner of the Tennessee-Oklahoma State game on Monday. Florida State went undefeated in the double-elimination bracket and will need to win once on Monday to qualify for the best-of-three championship series. The Seminoles would have to lose twice to be eliminated.
Washington (44-14) will face No. 9 Stanford in a playoff game on Sunday. The winner of that game would advance to the semifinals and face No. 1 seed Oklahoma on Monday.
Sandercock replaced Makenna Reid in the second race. Sandercock allowed a single and hit a batter before escaping a goal-laden jam without allowing a run.
Josie Muffley's single in the second scored Flaherty, and Kaley Mudge's sacrifice fly scored Mack Leonard to give Florida State a 2–0 lead.
Oklahoma earned its 50th consecutive win in style.
Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen homered, and No.1-seeded Oklahoma beat No.4-seeded Tennessee 9-0 in five innings on Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series.
The Sooners (58-1) closed in on a potential third straight national title and extended their record for consecutive Division I wins. The team set the record for most consecutive wins after being ranked 48th in the super regionals. But Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said after Saturday's game that the team still had its sights set on the bigger prize.
Oklahoma played like a team on a mission. Starter Jordy Bahl allowed one hit: a double to Kiki Milloy, the leadoff hitter of the game. Bahl pitched 3⅔ innings, walked one and struck out three to earn the win. Reliever Alex Storako, Kierston Deal and Nicole May allowed no hits.
Tennessee (50-9) will look to bounce back in a playoff game against No. 6 Oklahoma State on Sunday. The Lady Vols will try to forget about being completely dominated by the Sooners, barring some spectacular plays from Milloy.
Tennessee opted not to pitch to Ashley Rogers, an American first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She and No. 2 pitcher Payton Gottshall watched rookie pitcher Karlyn Pickens get the nod.
The decision soon paid off. Pickens escaped a goal-laden traffic jam in the first inning and didn't allow a run.
He couldn't escape in a second. Jennings drove a changeup over the fence from left field to put the Sooners up 3-0, and Pickens was subbed.
Hansen's line drive went over the fence at third for a two-run home run that gave Oklahoma a 5–0 lead.
The Sooners would have had more, but Milloy caught one against the fence to deny Sophia Nugent a home run in the fourth.
Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Florida State held on to beat No. 7 Washington 3-1 on Saturday night to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the Women's College World Series.
Reliever Kathryn Sandercock allowed one run and six hits in 5⅔ innings for the win.
Devyn Flaherty had two hits and two runs for the Seminoles (57-9), who will play the winner of the Tennessee-Oklahoma State game on Monday. Florida State went undefeated in the double-elimination bracket and will need to win once on Monday to qualify for the best-of-three championship series. The Seminoles would have to lose twice to be eliminated.
Washington (44-14) will face No. 9 Stanford in a playoff game on Sunday. The winner of that game would advance to the semifinals and face No. 1 seed Oklahoma on Monday.
Sandercock replaced Makenna Reid in the second race. Sandercock allowed a single and hit a batter before escaping a goal-laden jam without allowing a run.
Josie Muffley's single in the second scored Flaherty, and Kaley Mudge's sacrifice fly scored Mack Leonard to give Florida State a 2–0 lead.