Texas was simply not up to snuff to play Gasso’s squad in Game 1 on the national stage.
In the first of a best-of-three series in the WCWS, the Oklahoma Sooners came to battle against the Texas Longhorns. It was early and the bases were loaded, but Gasso’s squad only surrendered one early run via a bases-loaded walk by Trautwein before the fun began. Going to the bottom of the first inning down 1-0, the Sooners started off with another Jayda Coleman double to set up an Alo bomb to put Oklahoma ahead 2-1. But then another batter one-upped Alo — Taylon Snow near the bottom of the lineup. She blasted a three-run homer to bring up the top of the rotation once again by the end of the first inning, by which Texas had already used three pitchers.
. . @78jocelyn_alo | OU 2, UT 1 ESPN pic.twitter.com/UbYcTb3lG4
❄️ ❄️@taylonsnoww | OU 5, UT 1 ESPN pic.twitter.com/WK7ZwD02U1
Grace Lyons, who has improved markedly every single year while she’s been at OU then batted in a run after Alo led off with a double in the second before Jana Johns blasted a solo shot in centerfield during the third inning to keep the foot down on the pedal to make it 7-1.
wants in on the @JohnsJana | B3 | OU 7, UT 1 ESPN pic.twitter.com/So0w9WMtBr
Unfortunately for Texas, that was not the end of the third inning— Tiare Jennings came to the plate with Rylie Boone and Jocelyn Alo on base... one can imagine the possibilities...
Tiare's just going to bring her in.... of the night. It's the third inning. @_tiarejennings | ESPN pic.twitter.com/qXBmPEHaZZ
The score was 10-1 by the top of the fourth inning and there’s no run rule in the WCWS Title series despite Texas packing it in early while also having four pitchers in four innings. Mike White, the Texas Longhorns coach, even alluded to this being a series and not just a singular game that was a must-win. With the new Texas pitcher in the circle, the Sooners littered in a couple of runs off of one hit, but scored by Hansen and Snow in the “small ball” that Oklahoma is also able to play that put them up 12-1... But that was still not the end of the fun as both Jocelyn Alo and Tiare Jennings both hit back to back solo homers to make it 14-1 at the bottom of the fifth inning. It’s to the point where it’s like:
BACK TO BACK @espn #WCWS x @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/1hXKNj9I6C
By the time the score reached 14-1, it was pretty clear that Gasso was planning on resting her athletes for Game 2 on the following day. Oklahoma subbed in pinch hitters, but the Sooners’ Head Coach said she didn’t want to show her hand for the next contest with regards to her pitchers prior to Nicole May coming in at the top of the sixth inning to relieve Trautwein, who finished with five innings pitched, two hits, two strikeouts, one hit and one run surrendered. Meanwhile, Patty did suggest it was quite nice to see some of the pitchers that Texas has to offer.
It's gonna be . @nicolehmay enters and K's her first batter faced ⛽ T6 | OU 14, UT 1 pic.twitter.com/kd44xwhoMR
The final inning of offensive play for the Sooners was as routine as one could make it while being in such dominant position on the scoreboard while adding another run from a double off of Jennings’ bat, sending Boone home just before Brito sent in Alo for an RBI as well to be up 16-1. With Nicole May entering during the sixth inning, it makes one think ponder— who is going to be in the circle tomorrow? Will Gasso go May? Will she go for the jugular and put Trautwein in charge? Or... will she begin with Jordy Bahl in the second matchup? She certainly has options and her tendency is to go with the No. 2 option in the circle on the second day. In the two innings she pitched, Nicole May only surrendered one hit and struck out one batter.
Texas before and after playing OU pic.twitter.com/vbH1R92NaO
I don’t expect the Sooners to destroy Texas 16-1 again in Game 2, but my goodness, what a display of power. Patty Gasso is now one win shy of winning backto back titles.
' #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/BsJDWezWCz