OU responds after two errors to shut down FSU
Kalei Harding appeared to have finally ended the drought.
Florida State struggled all night to record a hit against OU during Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals on Wednesday, but it put itself in a good position during the sixth inning.
Harding unleashed a deep bomb that bounced off the wall in left-center, and the junior kept sprinting as she went for second base.
But she never made it there. OU center fielder Jayda Coleman chased down the ball and delivered a laser pass to second baseman Tiare Jennings, who made the tag before Harding could even begin to slide.
That summed up the night for the OU softball defense, which kept Florida State off the board in a 5-0 victory.
It marks only the second time this season that the Seminoles have been held scoreless. They only managed to record two hits on sophomore sensation Jordy Bahl, who recorded 10 strikeouts in a complete game.
“Jordy is a big part of the defense just by the location of her pitches,” OU head coach Patty Gasso said. “I love hitting and I love pitching, but I love great defense. I still think that defense wins championships.”
OU is one win away from securing its third straight championship. It faces Florida State once again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
OU’s defense completed the shutout despite not playing its cleanest game.
The Sooners made a rare error in the top of the third inning when Alyssa Brito bobbled a routine ground ball. That marked the first error of the WCWS for OU, which entered Game 1 with a nation-leading fielding percentage of .989.
The Sooners then committed their second and final error in the top of the fourth inning when Bahl also failed to secure a ground ball.
That proved to be a wakeup call for OU’s defense, which regained focus and recorded its 34th shutout victory of the season.
“I think the moment got big,” Gasso said. “We just really talked about what was going on. … We stopped and we reset.”
Florida State entered Wednesday’s game with the hottest offense in the field.
The Seminoles boasted an average of 5.3 runs per game in the WCWS, which led all eight tournament teams. But the Sooners refused to break, and they’ll look to rise to occasion once again on
Thursday.
“They always make us play hard and better,” Gasso said of the Seminoles. “That is just a tribute to them because we have to get ready for that. … They’re the real deal. They’re that good.”
How Sooners handled weather delays in WCWS finals
The Sooners did what they could to stay loose.
After getting hit with a second weather delay in the first inning of a Women’s College World Series finals game against Florida State on Wednesday, OU’s players kept the mood light as they passed the time.
They listened to music. They danced. They played brain games.
But Jordy Bahl couldn’t fully unwind. The sophomore pitcher got the starting nod, and she couldn’t help but pace back and forth as her mind raced during the 45-minute delay.
When are we going to start playing? Are they going to cancel the game?
“I was very worried about what was going to happen,” Bahl said.
But Bahl balled out once the game resumed.
OU earned a 5-0 victory, and Bahl the way. She racked up 10 strikeouts and only allowed two hits in a complete shutout.
“Jordy, again, was just absolutely exceptional,” OU head coach Patty Gasso said. “She’s a very, very hot pitcher right now.”
Bahl had to find a balance when warming up after the second weather delay.
The second-year Sooner didn’t want to throw too many pitches in order to preserve her arm, and that decision paid off. Bahl went the distance to record her seventh complete game of the season.
“It’s important to stay mentally locked in,” Bahl said. “You don’t want to throw a bunch of pitches in the bullpen before you’re even through the whole first inning, so I think it’s a lot about trying to keep your mind in it.”
Bahl continues to be the most dominant pitcher this WCWS. She has been credited with all four of the Sooners’ wins, and she has yet to surrender a run in a combined 21 2⁄ innings pitched. 3
OU will face Florida State again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Game 2 of the best-of-three series. The Sooners can secure their third straight national championship with a victory.
And while OU has other pitching options, Gasso is confident Bahl will deliver if needed.
“She’s throwing the best that she has all season,” Gasso said of Bahl. “You want to take advantage of that without running her too hard to where she’s going to run out of gas. But she’s just feeling it right now.”