Kinzie Hansen after Oklahoma's loss: 'We know how to get out of this'

If you think the Oklahoma Sooners softball team is rattled or distraught by their loss to Florida on Monday, think again. After the game, Oklahoma’s catcher Kinzie Hansen revealed just how confident the program is entering into its win-or-go-home showdown on Tuesday.

“This team has been in this position before. We know how to get out of this,” said Hansen. “Our first year here at the World Series we lost the first game, came out of the losers bracket. This feeling isn’t new to us.”

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“We’re not pressing at all. We know how to win ballgames, [and] what we need to do going forward. Looking forward to it. We’re never going to give in. No matter if it’s 0-2, down six runs in the seventh inning, it’s never over for us.”

The Sooners found themselves on the wrong side of the outcome, losing 9-3. The Gators jumped all over the Sooners, with ten hits in the game, including four home runs.

Oklahoma lost its first postseason game since losing one game to the UCLA Bruins in 2022. That was also the last time Oklahoma found itself in a similar situation,; overcoming it on their way to winning the 2022 Women’s College World Series.

There is a reason why Oklahoma is currently the three-time national champion of the college baseball world, looking to four-peat this season. Hansen has been a part of the past three national championship runs. So if there is any voice in the Oklahoma locker room that the younger players would rally behind, it would be her. And if she is not worried, the rest of the Sooners are sure to follow her lead.

How Florida forced a deciding game with Oklahoma

Florida knocked off a three-time defending champions with some much-needed offense today.

The Gators started with a 4-0 lead over Oklahoma through the first three innings. That included an inside-the-park home run from Kendra Falby as well as a normal home run from Skylar Wallace in back-to-back fashion at the bottom of the second.

Two more homers at the bottoms of the sixth and seventh got the job done in OKC. Reagan Walsh hit a three-run one first to push it to 7-1. Wallace then hit her second of the day and 15th of her senior season to post the final margin.

Keagan Rothrock and the defense also did what they needed to against the Sooners. In her full seven innings, she allowed just one hit an inning, and three runs total for a 2.51 ERA. She did so by throwing 130 pitches, including 69 strikes, against 34 batters. The three runs tied for the second-fewest of this tournament and postseason for Oklahoma. That comes after having scored just once in the game prior against UCLA.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this story