Oklahoma began their title defense in the Women’s College World Series with a dominant 9-1 win over Duke in six innings. The Sooners’ offense was led by Kinzie Hansen, who hit a home run and contributed three RBIs to the victory. Alyssa Brito and Jayda Coleman also had two hits each, helping Oklahoma take an early lead.
Despite initially taking a 1-0 lead, Duke struggled to keep up with Oklahoma’s explosive offense. Hansen’s two-run homer in the third inning gave the Sooners a commanding 2-1 advantage, and they never looked back. Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders also contributed with home runs, while Jayda Coleman’s impressive defensive play in centerfield helped preserve the lead.
In relief, Kierston Deal pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win for Oklahoma. Cassidy Curd started the game but allowed just one run on three hits before being replaced by Jala Wright, who took the loss after giving up five runs on four hits.
With their impressive performance in their opening game, Oklahoma is now set up nicely for the rest of the tournament as they look to continue their reign as national champions. In the next round, they will face off against No. 6 seed UCLA, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. Duke, meanwhile, will play No. 14 seed Alabama in an elimination game following their loss to Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has dominated this year’s tournament so far with their exceptional play both at bat and on defense. They have been able to take control of games quickly and efficiently thanks to their strong offensive performances and solid defensive play.
The Sooners are not only looking to make history by winning a fourth consecutive national title but also want to prove that they are still unstoppable force in college softball. They have shown that nothing can stop them from achieving their goal of defending their title once again.
As we move forward into the next round of games, it will be interesting to see how teams respond against Oklahoma’s dominate play
