Oklahoma beats Texas, repeats as softball national champions
Oklahoma shortstop Grace Lyons (3) celebrates after tagging out Texas' JJ Smith at second base during the second game of the NCAA softball Women's College World Series finals in Oklahoma City, Okla., Thursday, June 9, 2022. Credit: AP/Ian Maule
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kinzie Hansen and Grace Lyons hit three-run homers, Jayda Coleman made two spectacular defensive plays and No. 1 seed Oklahoma beat unseeded Texas 10-5 on Thursday night to win its second straight Women’s College World Series title.
The Sooners (59-3) won the best-of-three series 2-0 after winning Game 1 16-1 on Wednesday.
Jocelyn Alo, the two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year who had been dominant throughout the World Series, hit a hard single in her final at-bat in the sixth inning and later scored. In the seventh, she stepped in to play left field and caught two fly balls for outs before leaving the game to a standing ovation. She ends her career with a Division I record 122 home runs.
It was Oklahoma’s sixth overall championship and fifth in the past nine World Series.
Oklahoma’s Jordy Bahl (22-1), the NFCA Freshman of the Year, settled down after a rough start. She allowed two runs and four hits in four innings.
Estelle Czech (13-2) started the game with three shutout innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth and fifth and was replaced.
Mia Scott hit a 3-run homer and JJ Smith had two hits for the Longhorns (47-22-1), who had survived six elimination games in NCAA tournament play before Thursday night.
