After multiple weather delays, Sooners come out on top in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series against the Florida State Seminoles 5-0.
Patty Gasso on winning the first game in the series – “It’s always really good to get that first win under your belt. Really important. Our team was really focused for that.”
What a start to the night in Oklahoma City, fans got evacuated twice from Hall of Fame Stadium and the night had 3 weather delays in total. First, the stadium was evacuated before the scheduled first pitch at 7:00 PM local time. Then once first pitch was thrown by Jordy Bahl at 8:10 PM, we roll to the bottom of the 1st and catch another delay. Fans mostly evacuated at 8:20 PM but play resumed at 9:00 and continued with no more delays.
Now that all the delay talk is over, let’s get some game talk in. It was a pitcher’s duel to begin the game after all the waiting. No runs getting scored in the first 3 innings, it seemed the players had some shaking off to do with the start and stop fashion of the delays.
Kinzie Hansen on the rain delay – “We were having fun in the locker room. When the rain delay ended up being over, we walked right back into our game plan and kept rolling with it. There was never a pause and restart.”
Then, the 4th inning started. The Sooners have outscored opponents 76-3 in the 4th inning heading into the game this season, and tonight was much of the same. Sooners get 3 runs across in the fourth and really started the momentum for the rest of the game.
The 5th inning was all Sooners. After hitting the leadoff bunt single, Coleman scores from 1st after a Hansen single to LF. Brito hits a single down the LF line, Lyons gets walked, to give bases loaded to Sanders who flies out. A great inning for the Sooners in getting batters on base, but left every base stranded to end it.
6th inning continued with some amazing plays by both teams. Boone hits a double to right centerfield and slides into second, stands up for her normal celebration but then the ball comes in and hits her hand, so she’s able to advance to 3rd. Later that inning, Lee hits what would have been a walk off 3-run home run to left field but Mudge robs it with a heck of a leaping catch at the wall.
When the Sooners are in a rhythm, they are dominant, as their record now stands at 60-1, only loss to Baylor early in the season. OU pushes the consecutive win record to 52 and is one game away from a three-peat and adding another championship trophy to their new stadium.
Jordy Bahl on her confidence in the offense – “I always know the offense is going to get going. Especially this entire tournament, we’ve faced some really tough pitching, but I know they’re going to score runs.”
Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series will be tomorrow, Thursday June 8 at 6:30 PM. Oklahoma Sooners will look to win the Championship. Florida State will try and push the series to game 3 finale on Friday.
