Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
Oklahoma

WATCH: Oklahoma softball run-rules Northwestern after second grand slam of game

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•06/02/22•

NickSchultz_7

On3 image
Photo by Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Remember when Northwestern led Oklahoma 1-0 during the Women’s College World Series on Thursday? Well, it didn’t end that way.

The Sooners had a big third inning to take a 6-1 lead over the Wildcats, thanks in large part to a grand slam from Tiare Jennings. Then, they did it again, capping off a seven-run bottom of the fourth inning with another grand slam, this time from Jana Johns to make it a 13-1 lead. Northwestern ended up scoring a run in the top of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to escape the run-rule as OU came away with the 13-2 win.

Oklahoma enters the WCWS as a No. 1 seed and is facing No. 9 seed Northwestern in the first round. The Sooners had a huge regular season, going 54-2 overall and 17-1 in Big 12 play. Their only losses came at the hands of Texas in the regular season and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Softball Tournament.

Oklahoma now advances to play that same Texas team June 4.

Patty Gasso on the strength of Oklahoma softball lineup vs. Northwestern: ‘Pick your poison’

The Sooners scored six runs in the third inning to take their first lead of the game — and Patty Gasso was impressed.

The Sooners scored on an RBI single from Jana Johns, set up by a leadoff double from Rylie Boone. After a single from Jayda Coleman, Northwestern opted to walk the powerful Jocelyn Alo. That proved costly as Tiare Jennings hit a grand slam to break things open.

Walking Alo seems like a no-brainer on paper considering she’s hit 34 home runs this year. But Gasso noted the OU lineup is full of pop, and it makes things tough on opposing teams.

“We’ve got enough in the lineup that if you want to walk somebody, we’ve got someone very strong behind them,” Gasso told ESPN’s Holly Rowe during an in-game interview. So it’s kind of pick your poison. It’s really a tough decision that I’m glad I’m not in.”

That grand slam probably doesn’t happen without Boone’s leadoff double, which was huge considering Northwestern had the lead. Gasso said all teams need in the Women’s College World Series is a spark— especially in game one. Boone provided just that.

“Really important in a big game like this, especially when you’re behind,” Gasso said. “The first game is always a little jittery, so to see her come in in the eight spot and get things started, it just kind of opened up the floodgates for us.”