Top-seeded Oklahoma gets revenge against Longhorns
Texas had snapped OU’s 38-game win streak in April
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma got revenge on Big 12 rival Texas and pitcher Hailey Dolcini.
Jocelyn Alo homered and knocked in three runs to help No. 1 seed Oklahoma beat Texas 7-2 on Saturday at the Women’s College World Series.
Oklahoma opened the season with 38 wins before Dolcini shut the Sooners down in a 4-2 Texas victory April 16.
Alo set the tone Saturday with her two-run blast as the second batter of the game. The two-time reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year increased her Division I careerrecord home run total to 118.
Alo was off her game against Dolcini in April, but she expected to bounce back.
“As good as a pitcher Dolcini is, I’m a really good hitter, too,” she said. “I’m going to trust myself. I’m going to pick myself no matter what. I knew the adjustments I had to make, went out there and made them.”
Tiare Jennings also hit a homer for the Sooners (56-2), who advanced to the semifinals Monday and moved one step closer to successfully defending their national title.
Jennings said the Sooners have changed since the loss at Texas.
“The good thing is they didn’t know us today,” she said. “We came in a whole different team than we were in Austin. That’s something we had an advantage of. We knew that we were different, that’s why we did what we did today.”
Hope Trautwein (20-1) went the distance for the Sooners for the win.
Janae Jefferson hit a solo homer in the seventh for Texas (44-20-1).
Alo’s blast in the top of the first was her 30th homer of the season. Dolcini (23-11) settled down after that and retired the next nine batters.
“She was able to hang in there,” Texas coach Mike White said. “That’s a testament to her fight and her determination. She didn’t let it get down. A lot of pitchers would have folded right there, right? Big moment, giving up a home run in the first. You probably would have had to take her out. But I know better than that with her. She’s going to keep fighting for this team, for this club.”
Texas responded to Alo’s homer in the bottom of the first when Alyssa Washington’s double scored Mia Scott. Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman doubled in the fifth to score Rylie Boone and put the Sooners up 3-1. Alo then singled to knock in Coleman and chase Dolcini.
Texas freshman Sophia Simpson entered the game, and Jennings tagged her second pitch so hard that it nearly cleared the left-field seats. The two-run blast — Jennings’ 26th of the season — bumped Oklahoma’s lead to 6-1.
OKLAHOMA ST. 2, FLORIDA 0: Kelly Maxwell threw a three-hitter and struck out nine the Cowgirls defeated the Gators to advance to the Women’s College World Series semifinals.
Maxwell (21-4), a first-team NFCA All-American, struck out 14 in a win over Arizona on Thursday.
Chyenne Factor had two hits and knocked in a run for the Cowgirls (48-12).
Lexie Delbrey (15-4) took the loss for Florida. The Gators (49-17) will play No. 5 UCLA in an elimination game on Sunday.
Oklahoma State got on the board in the third when Factor’s bunt single scored Julia Cottrill, who finished with three hits.
The Cowgirls scored again in the fourth when Cottrill’s single plated Sydney Pennington.