By Jennifer Roback
Earlier this week, the Texas Longhorns made history by becoming the first unseeded team to ever reach the Women's College World Series finals, but they were unable to hold off No. 1 Oklahoma.
The Sooners had a record-breaking run and swept Texas after winning 16-1 in Game 1 and 10-5 in Game 2.
“I wouldn’t really say it surprises us,” Jocelyn Alo said of Game 1, via Yahoo! Sports. “But it’s definitely cool to see what it is that we can do as the stakes get higher and as the stages get bigger.”
During Game 1, the Sooners put on a show and recorded six home runs, breaking the previous WCWS record of four. They also set a record with 17 home runs, breaking the previous record of 15, which was set by them last season, via ESPN.
This win marks the Sooners sixth WCWS title under coach Patty Gasso, and their fourth in the past seven seasons. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Our pitching with Jordy [Bahl] was hanging on, but the defense is what really created this momentum for us over and over until we could find a way to get on the board," Gasso said. "Once we did, it just started to open up. Just timely hitting, clutch hitting when we needed it."
The Sooners ended their memorable season 59-3, including 41 run-rule victories, 33 shutouts, and eight no-hitters. Oklahoma also hit home runs in 56 of 62 games and held opponents to one run or fewer 49 times.
"I would say with me being a senior, I think this is the best team," Alo said. "But one thing about Sooner softball, and I've seen it year in and year out, is they just continue to get better. I don't know what holds next year, but I know that they could be a run for the best team too and years to come. I just think Sooner softball will continually climb and keep climbing the ladder. I think you should be excited for what's being to."
While the Longhorns might have lost, their Cinderella story marks the program's best-ever finish, and they showed the world what they're all about heading into the 2022-23 season.