Oklahoma softball opens WCWS with 2-0 victory
OKLAHOMA CITY – That first victory can be difficult, and it took a while for Oklahoma softball to find its bats.
The Sooners figured out just enough at just the right time to take down Stanford 2-0 in their first game of the Women’s College World Series Thursday afternoon at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
The win puts No. 1-ranked OU at 57-1 overall, with a 49-game winning streak. The Sooners will take on Tennessee at 2 p.m. Saturday on ABC in a winner’s bracket matchup.
OU had trouble with Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady (16-2) for nearly five innings before Jayda Coleman was able to bring home Avery Hodge in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single.
The Sooners only had one hit vs. Canady in the first four innings before Alynah Torres and Rylie Boone each had singles to set up Coleman with two outs.
Stanford committed an error on Coleman’s hit, allowing Boone to score all the way from first and give a little breathing room.
Coleman was the only OU hitter to have multiple hits (2).
As good as Canady was, Oklahoma’s Jordy Bahl was up to the task just as much. The sophomore had to work out of some jams but never blinked.
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It was going to be interesting to see who Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso wanted to throw out there to start the WCWS. It’s one of the many challenges of facing the Sooners. Gasso opted to roll with Bahl, who moved to 19-1 with the win.
Bahl threw all seven innings. She allowed five hits, zero runs, one walk and struck out 11. She finished in style, striking out the side in the top of the seventh inning.
Up next for Oklahoma
A very interesting matchup between the Vols and Sooners. Tennessee is just one of two teams in the WCWS that OU has not played or defeated this season.
The Vols looked impressive in whipping Alabama 10-5 in the first game of the day. Tennessee (50-8) enters on a 10-game winning streak. Both teams have been playing as well as anybody in the country during postseason.
