Jordy Bahl shuts down Stanford, propels Oklahoma into champ series

OKLAHOMA CITY – Patty Gasso walked to the circle as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” played over the speakers at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. And all 12,071 in attendance knew what and who was coming next. 

Enter Jordy Bahl. 

Gasso’s No. 1 Sooners were in a tight one with No. 9 Stanford. A 2-2 game and a pitchers duel unfolding with no end in sight. Junior Nicole May had pitched well, but Gasso knew it was time to bring in her ace, with freshman phenom NiJaree Canady in the circle for Stanford. 

And Bahl was nails for the Sooners. In four innings of work, the sophomore righty struck out six batters, worked out of several jams, and held Stanford scoreless. Her performance in the circle allowed Oklahoma enough time to figure Canady out, with junior Tiare Jennings hitting the game-winning two-run double in the top of the ninth to secure a 4-2 victory.

“Really for me, it’s just be present, stay simple,” Bahl said. “The second I try to do too much with any one of my pitches, I start overthrowing, and then things really go downhill from there. Honestly, just trying to keep everything simple.”

Bahl adding herself to Oklahoma softball legacy

In OU’s three games at the Women’s College World Series, Bahl has been arguably the best player in the tournament. Like the many great Oklahoma pitchers before her – Kellani Ricketts, Paige Parker, and Giselle Juarez, to name a few – she’s carrying Oklahoma through the postseason. She’s a big reason why the Sooners are heading to their fourth consecutive champ series and have a chance at a third-straight national title.

The moment is never too big for Bahl. She exudes confidence in the circle. Everything about her is intimidating, from her unmistakable eyeblack to her forceful walk around the circle before each pitch. She has a swagger in the circle few possess and it rubs off on her team. 

“I think she’s been delivering since she was delivered from the womb really,” Gasso said. “She is just made tough as nails like that. Just a good, down-home, Midwestern kid that has a work ethic beyond anything I’ve seen. She has a passion and fearlessness about her and just absolutely embraces the biggest moments you could ever imagine when a lot of pitchers would go, ‘No, thank you. Don’t call me.’ She’s like, ‘Give me the ball. Give me the ball right now. Give it to me at the start of the game, give it to me in the middle, give it to me at the end, it doesn’t matter, I’ll be ready.’”

Matching Stanford’s strategy

The plan for Oklahoma Monday against Stanford was to pitch May for five innings and bring Bahl into close it, hoping it wouldn’t need a second game to beat Stanford. It didn’t start well though, with May giving up a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. 

But May responded, retiring the next 13 batters before allowing a hit to start the sixth inning when Bahl replaced her. 

“Nicole May had a plan, and she executed it to the T to allow Jordy to come in,” Gasso said. “And ultimately — 55 (pitches for Bahl) versus 85 (pitches for May), which is kind of what we were hoping for is to just keep the pitch count low on Jordy and work our way through this in case we had to go to that if game.”

Bahl was always going to get the call Monday. It was just a matter of when and what the moment looked like for Oklahoma.

“Nicole was throwing a great game,” Bahl said. “The game plan going in was I was supposed to be hot, ready to go by the fifth. And so by that point, I’m just staying loose until then. Then when I got in, it was just be present, make effective pitches, let the defense work, and just stay simple with everything and not let any moment get too big.”

Bahl did have to work out of several jams, which has become a theme for her. It’s almost as if she enjoys the thrill of getting in and out of jams.

Bahl continues to answer the call

In the sixth, Stanford had two on and no one out. Bahl answered with a ground out, line out, and strike out. In the seventh, Stanford had one on with one out and the top of their lineup due up. She answered with a strikeout and ground out. And in the eighth, Stanford hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, again having two on and no outs. Bahl popped the next batter up and struck out the final two to help Oklahoma escape the inning. 

Her focus is unwavering in those tough spots, relishing the moment. 

“It’s really just let’s go to work,” Bahl said. “Turn around, look at the defense, and it’s like, ‘All right, let’s go to work. We’re going to get out of this.’ I mean, it’s just as simple as that.”

Soon, Bahl will have the ball again, with Oklahoma facing either No. 3 Florida State or No. 4 Tennessee in the champ series on Wednesday. And she’ll be ready as she always is. 

Because for the 5-foot-8 righty from Papillion, Nebraska, she’s made for this. 

“It’s just a fearless nature,” Gasso said. “Jordy and this team feel like there’s nothing they can’t overcome, and they know that fear is kind of the enemy. You hear people say pressure is a privilege. They thrive. They love it. And they love those big moments. The one thing we talked about in big moments are you don’t get these lasting memories when you’re run ruling teams. It’s these games that you’re never going to forget. 

“Those are the moments they don’t forget. The ones that are pressure filled are the ones that they embrace, and Jordy is just – she’s made that way. I don’t know a better way to say it. She loves it.