No. 16/18 Softball’s incredible run ends with loss to No. 1 Oklahoma

Thursday, June 9

Oklahoma City, Okla.

6:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

47-22-1

#1 Oklahoma

59-3

Oklahoma

Texas

No. 16/18 Softball’s incredible run ends with loss to No. 1 Oklahoma

06.09.2022 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Texas completed the 2022 season as the national runner-up to post the program’s best-ever WCWS finish

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – What's been a truly magical postseason run for the Longhorns finally came to an end on Thursday night, in WCWS Championship Series action at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, as No. 16/18 Texas softball (47-22-1) dropped game two to No. 1 Oklahoma (59-3), 10-5, to complete the 2022 season with the program's best-ever finish as the national runner-up.

Notes

Texas' runner-up finish was the best in program history. UT had advanced as far as the semifinals on three previous occasions (2003, 2005, 2013) before breaking through to the finals in 2022.
With three double plays on Thursday, Texas registered 13 in the NCAA Tournament with a WCWS record eight of those occurring in Oklahoma City.
Freshman third baseman Mia Scott's seventh-inning HR marked Texas' eighth HR of the WCWS, one more than UT's WCWS teams hit combined over five previous visits to OKC.
Scott finished her WCWS as Texas' all-time hit leader in the event with 10, while sophomore Courtney Day leaves Oklahoma City as the Longhorns all-time WCWS leader in HR's (three) and RBIs (eight).
Texas' early 2-0 lead marked only the fifth time this season that OU trailed by multiple runs and just the 12th time the Sooners had trailed at any point all season.
Texas' two sacrifice flies on Thursday tied for the most in a single game in WCWS history.
Texas had at least one runner on base in 36-of-47 offensive innings at the WCWS, but stranded a total of 35 runners. That really hurt in the three match-ups against Oklahoma as the Longhorns stranded a combined 21 base runners versus the Sooners, including five more on Thursday.
With the loss, Texas dropped to 11-13 overall in six all-time appearances at the WCWS, 4-3 in this year's visit to the sport's showcase event and 0-4 all-time against OU at the WCWS.

Major Players

Freshman third baseman Mia Scott (2-for-4, two runs, HR, three RBIs); senior catcher Mary Iakopo (1-for-2, sac fly, RBI); sophomore first baseman JJ Smith (2-for-3); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (1-for-3, run); sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington (sac fly, RBI)

In the Circle

Sophomore pitch Estelle Czech (13-2) took the loss after allowing four earned runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work.

The Details

After Oklahoma left a pair on base in the top of the first against Czech, the Longhorns offense got right to work against OU's Jordy Bahl in the bottom half. Jefferson greeted the freshman All-American hurler with a leadoff single up the middle. Scott followed immediately with a base knock through the left side, while sophomore center fielder Bella Dayton walked to load the bases with still no outs. That set the stage for consecutive sac flies to the warning track by both Washington and Iakopo to grant Texas a 2-0 advantage. It was nearly more as Day launched a high drive to left center, but OU center fielder Jayda Coleman robbed a HR to limit the damage to only a pair.

The Sooners offense threatened again in the top of the second as catcher Kinzie Hansen opened the frame with a base hit, and third baseman Jana Johns followed with a one-out double to left center. With OU runners at second and third, right fielder Rylie Boone chopped a ball to first. Smith corralled the ball and raced all the way over to tag Hansen up the third-base line to prevent a run. A pop-up to short was handled by Washington as Texas escaped another early jam.

A Smith base knock and a Lauren Burke walk got the Longhorns back in business in the bottom of the second. Unfortunately for UT, a fly out to center, a fielder's choice and a liner right to OU first baseman Snow left two more runners on base.

OU designated player Jocelyn Alo walked to begin Oklahoma's half of the third. That's when Texas' defense made a big play as Scott corralled a bouncer and started a 5-4-3 double play to clear the base paths.

The Crimson & Cream finally broke through with some Longhorns assistance in the top of the fourth. After an Alyssa Brito lead-off double to right center, Hansen grounded a ball on the infield. The throw to first was low for an error as Brito scored to cut the Oklahoma deficit to 2-1. First baseman Taylon Snow immediately followed by stepping into the box and driving a RBI single to center to tie things up at 2-2.

A two-out rally eventually pushed the Sooners in front in the top of the fifth. Second baseman Tiare Jennings started it off with a base knock up the middle. Grace Lyons was hit by a pitch and Alyssa Brito followed with a RBI double down the left-field line to make it 3-2. Still needing one more out to keep the UT deficit at just one run, it wouldn't come before Hansen hit a three-run HR to left to boost the gap to 6-2.

OU raised its total offensive output to 10 runs in the top of the sixth as Lyons hit a one-out grand slam to left.

With Texas needing something battle back into the contest, Iakopo managed a two-out single in the sixth, but a strikeout ended any hope of a rally.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Longhorns demonstrated what Texas Fight is all about. Down to its final out, Texas started an outburst with junior pinch hitter McKenzie Parker drawing a walk. After Jefferson was struck by a pitch, Scott launched a three-run HR the other way to left to bring UT within 10-5. Dayton kept things going with a walk, but a bouncer to second eventually brought an end to the contest.