Kinzie Hansen ahead of Game 2: 'Our goal is to kind of just hammer them'

Oklahoma is now just one win away from winning their fourth consecutive NCAA title after defeating Texas 8-3 in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series opener on Wednesday. With a win on Thursday making the Sooners the first program ever to win four-strait national championships in softball.

Unlike the past three seasons, Oklahoma entered this year’s NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed after falling to the Longhorns in their regular season series and the Big 12 Tournament Championship game. But following Game 1 the tides have seemed to turn, as the Sooners’ high-energy brand of ball working in their favor. Which they’ll look to maintain and carry heading into Game 2.

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“You know, we’re just doing our job out here,” catcher Kinzie Hansen said after the win on Wednesday. “I mean, I’ve said before, they came out and they kind of dominated us in the first series we played them. We’ve made our adjustments. We’re not really looking.”

The Sooners have been known for their antics throughout the season, never afraid to celebrate any play from a grand slam to being walked as the very first batter of a game. But Hansen insists that it’s not a gimmick or an intimidation tactic, focused on staying true to their aggressive style of play.

“Our goal isn’t to go out there and kind of get in their face and intimidate them like that. Our goal is to kind of just hammer them in the way that we know how with Kelly [Maxwell] on the mound and our staff doing everything they can and with our lineup making adjustments pitch by pitch,” Hansen explained.

Oklahoma hit three home runs within the first three innings of Wednesday’s game, with Hansen blasting a two-run homer in the third inning to help extend the Sooners’ early lead that they’d hang on to for the entire contest. With Hansen ending the game two hits and two RBIs and Oklahoma racking up nine hits and eight runs in total on the day. A performance they’ll look to replicate against a Longhorns’ team that definitely won’t go down without a fight.

“I mean, we’re looking forward to a good game tomorrow. I know that Texas, they’re not no softies. They’re not going to roll over. Coach White does a great job getting them pumped up for stuff like that.”

Yeah, if they feel that way, they’re going to come out and try to bow up to us, for sure,” Hensen concluded.

Game 2 in Oklahoma City between the Sooners and Longhorns starts at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game airing on ESPN.