WCWS bound: Sooners overwhelm Alabama, punch ticket back to OKC

NORMAN — Saturday's Super Regional contest started simply for the Sooners. Abby Dayton hit an RBI single in the second inning that gave the Sooners a 1-0 lead over Alabama.

And then the Sooners simply blew the game in the third inning. The runs kept coming, and kept coming, and kept coming.

By the end of it, the Sooners had scored eight runs on eight base hits, taking a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the frame.

That inning was more than enough for the Sooners to overwhelm Alabama. The Sooners finished with a 13-2 win over the Crimson Tide in five innings, completing the Super Regional sweep and punching their ticket to the Women's College World Series.

It marks the Sooners' 18th WCWS appearance overall and their ninth straight, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

The third inning saw the Sooners plate nine consecutive batters as they made their run. Gabbie Garcia got things started with a two-run home run after Sydney Barker hit a single. Nelly McEnroe-Marinas followed with a walk before the Sooners recorded base hits from Cydney Sanders, Ailana Agbayani, Isabela Emerling, Abigale Dayton and Kasidi Pickering.

Ella Parker — who led off the inning with a ground out — returned to the plate and rounded things out with an RBI double, ending the offensive explosion with a sixth consecutive base hit.

That inning put the game into run-rule territory, but Alabama quickly responded. The Crimson Tide found solo home runs from Kali Heivilin and Marlie Giles in the third and fourth innings, cutting OU's lead to 9-2 heading into the fifth while briefly pushing the game out of run-rule territory.

The Sooners quickly responded in the fifth inning. Parker pushed the game back into run-rule territory with a solo home run, then the Sooners added back-to-back home runs from Garcia and McEnroe-Marinas to put the game firmly out of reach.

The Sooners finished with 14 hits and six home runs as a team.

Kierston Deal got the start in the circle and kept the Crimson Tide mostly in check. She allowed just three hits, two walks and two runs in four innings while striking out four batters in four innings. Audrey Lowry pitched the final inning in relief, allowing two base hits before securing the final out.

The Sooners improve to 50-7 on the season and now await their path in Oklahoma City.

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