Parker’s gem enables Oklahoma to top Auburn for 3rd softball championship
OKLAHOMA CITY — Paige Parker pitched a complete game to help Oklahoma defeat Auburn 2-1 on Wednesday night for its third national softball title.
Parker put the Tigers down in order in the seventh to improve to 5-0 at the Women’s College World Series.
Auburn’s Emily Carosone, the star of Tuesday’s win with a walkoff grand slam in the eighth, couldn’t follow it up.
In the bottom of the first, she committed an error on a grounder by Shay Knighten, and Caleigh Clifton scored for the Sooners (57-8) when Carosone lost control of a throw to first. Knighten then scored on a slowbouncing infield single by Fale Aviu to make it 2-0.
Auburn (58-12) loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but Parker got out of the inning unscathed. Jade Rhodes’ solo shot in the top of the fourth made it 2-1.
OU won its first two titles in 2000 and 2013.