OKLAHOMA CITY — Patty Gasso’s Oklahoma Sooners have done it again.
They slugged their way to a record fourth straight NCAA Division I softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas 8-4 on Thursday night for a two-game sweep of the Women’s College World Series finals.
The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most WCWS titles behind UCLA’s 12.
Rylie Boone, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings and pitcher Nicole May were significant contributors to all four of Oklahoma’s title teams in this unprecedented run.
“They’ve cemented this program in history,” Gasso said. “They’ve cemented themselves in history. History can change, but these guys will never ever be forgotten.”
The Sooners felt the pressure along the way.
“‘Heavy is a head that wears the crown’ is the one thing that really stuck out,” Gasso said. “I heard someone say that. That really has felt true. It’s been exhausting. These players are exhausted, but they keep going.”
Left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma State, was named the most outstanding player at the WCWS. She closed her sixth year in college softball by going 3-0 with a save at the WCWS, allowing seven earned runs in 27 innings.
Maxwell was criticized for transferring to the Cowgirls’ biggest rival, but she feels it was worth it.
“I received a lot of hate, a lot of doubt,” Maxwell said. “But I’m just thankful for these girls and this team and this staff, just to pick me up and have my back.”
Oklahoma (59-7), which was seeded second overall when the NCAA tournament began last month with 64 teams, scored eight runs in each of the two games versus top-seeded Texas (55-10) in the title series. The Sooners pounded out 21 hits in all against the Longhorns, who came into the finals having thrown three consecutive one-hit shutouts at the WCWS.
“Congratulations to the University of Oklahoma on their fourth championship in a row,” Texas coach Mike White said. “It’s an incredible feat. We know how tough it is just to get here, let alone win four. It’s an amazing achievement.”
AP photo by Alonzo Adams / Texas softball players watch as the Oklahoma Sooners celebrate Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma won 8-4 to complete a sweep of the best-of-three series after winning 8-3 in the opener Wednesday night.Kasidi Pickering hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning for the Sooners, and Ella Parker had a two-run single in the sixth that padded their lead. Gasso used five pitchers, with Maxwell getting the last four outs for the save a day after she threw a complete game.
Karlie Keeney got the start for Oklahoma, and she was followed in the circle by Paytn Monticelli, Kierston Deal — who worked the fourth inning and was credited with the win — and then May before Maxwell wrapped it up.
Mac Morgan, who threw a one-hitter against Florida earlier in the WCWS, started Thursday’s game against Oklahoma and gave up two runs on five hits in two innings. Estelle Czech took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings.
The Longhorns’ quest for the program’s first WCWS crown remains unfinished. They lost to the Sooners in 2022 during their only other appearance in the championship series.
This year, Texas won the Big 12 regular-season title, but Oklahoma beat the Longhorns in the league tourney — and then in the biggest games of all.
Both programs are leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference next season, so the rivalry isn’t expected to end any time soon.
“Texas always makes us better,” Gasso said. “I think that we could both agree that we do that for each other. That’s how we get here. That’s why we’re looking at each other on the national championship stage.”
Freshman Kayden Henry had two hits for Texas and drove in the Longhorns’ first run.
A baserunning mistake by Mia Scott ended the Longhorns’ chance of tying the game or taking the lead in the sixth inning. Scott’s two-out, RBI infield single got Texas within 5-4 and advanced Ashton Maloney to third base, but Scott went too far rounding first. Oklahoma second baseman Avery Hodge flipped the ball to first baseman Sanders, who tagged Scott out before she could get back.
“It was huge,” Maxwell said. “I mean, they definitely had the momentum in that moment. … I saw Mia Scott kind of come off the bag. I was just telling Avery, ‘Turn around, turn around, let’s get her, come on.’ She finally heard me. We got it done.”
Two innings earlier, Hodge’s fielding error allowed Texas to take a 3-2 lead.
The Longhorns could learn from the experience. White has a young team that he expects to return to Oklahoma City.
“As I told the team, I want to be on the other side of the podium here one of the these days,” he said, “making that last speech more enjoyable than it is right now.”