Grace Lyons finishes Oklahoma career on top, hitting go-ahead home run
OKLAHOMA CITY – No one was more ready to be the hero for Oklahoma Thursday night than shortstop Grace Lyons.
The fifth-year senior has been here before – five times to be exact. She’s played on the biggest stage, having won two national titles before Thursday. So when she stepped to the plate in the top of the fifth inning with a chance to help her team win a third straight national championship, she was unfazed by the moment.
And at that moment, she left her final legacy as a Sooner, hitting the go-ahead home run to help Oklahoma beat Florida State in the Women’s College World Series and win the program’s seventh national title.
“I mean, the home run was awesome, but just the feelings of coming home to my team and just the joy that a home run can’t bring,” Lyons said. “It’s all from the Lord. I think it was just a genuine joy as I rounded just knowing that it was a total team effort, and that team is something special.”
A team captain, Lyons has been the heartbeat of the Oklahoma softball program during the three-peat. She’s one of the best shortstops in recent softball history, winning the 2023 Golden Glove. And was one of OU’s most reliable hitters, posting a .353 career batting average and hitting 58 home runs.
But most of all, Lyons has been the perfect leader for Oklahoma.
“I was screaming my head off for her just to be present in that moment, taking it all in, knowing that this could be my last game with Grace Lyons,” junior Tiare Jennings said. “Just being on the field, I smiled and looked at her because there’s nobody better than Grace Lyons. Just her personality, who she is, how she carries herself. She’s taught me everything in life. But she’s been my go-to and my rock here. To see her do that, it was the best thing ever.”
Coach Patty Gasso has said having Lyons on her team is like having another coach. She demands excellence from her teammates and instills a purpose in them to be great. And she’s unafraid to share her faith, which has become a rallying point for the Sooners.
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“I think Grace Lyons came to college softball wanting to leave a more different impact than what players usually want to leave on their programs,” sophomore Jordy Bahl said. “She’s done just that.”
Lyons wasn’t emotional postgame, despite the several questions about this being her last game in the crimson and cream. Instead, she was joyful, focused, and grateful. She’s thankful for the ride and the memories, like Thursday, that’ll last a lifetime.
“It’s surreal,” Lyons said. “Today I definitely was thinking of the possibility that it was my last game, playing in this uniform. Just the emotions that come with that. It’s so cool to know that these players saw that my legacy, my intention, and my legacy was going to be different. That means so much to me, more than any softball hit, home run, play, like that speaks volumes.”
While her time at Oklahoma may be over, her purpose beyond the softball field is just beginning. And if it’s anything like her softball career, it’s sure to be special.
“I know Grace Lyons,” Gasso said, “you have not heard the last of her.”
