Death, taxes and Sooner softball?
They're looking like that word again … inevitable
It was dominant and prolific.
It was everybody and everything.
It was entire and complete.
It was tears, wonder and appreciation from coach Patty Gasso and smiles and laughter from the players.
It was, here we go again … inevitable.
It was Oklahoma’s 13-2 five-inning run-rule, super-regional clinching victory over Alabama, securing the program’s ninth straight trip to the Women’s College World Series, thereby assuring it a shot at the program’s fifth straight national championship.
“I didn’t expect this,” Gasso said. “Knowing what we can do, I’m really excited.”
Like she didn’t know prior to Saturday, but now she does. And while that may sound fanciful and wrong in relation to a coach who’s seen and done it all over a legendary 30-plus year career, if you were there for it, live at Love’s Field, you understand.
“I was just thinking to pass the bat,” said Ella Parker, who finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs, each of her knocks for extra bases and the last one a long home run landing between the decks beyond the right-field wall.
Consider Parker’s thought the most modest description of what happened during the Sooner half of the third inning, when her two-run double down the right-field line made her OU’s ninth straight batter to reach base and sixth straight to register a base hit during a frame in which nine different Sooners came to the plate and three of them twice. Eight hits were collected, eight runs were scored and Alabama coach Patrick Murphy made three pitching changes.
Gabbie Garcia got the inning going with her 19th home run of the season, a right-field-line screamer that took about a second to reach the seats. She hit her 20th two innings later and did you know that makes 19 home runs for Garcia in only 41 games because she landed only one her first 16 games of the season?
Holy cow.
Forgive the aside because it was no one player, nor one inning, nor even a single pitcher.
In the circle, though Gasso may have been tempted to throw Sam Landry a second straight day, she went with Kierston Deal instead and Deal, though not fabulous, was plenty good enough, and good enough is just that for a pitching staff that’s been so up and down throughout the season.
Deal allowed three hits over four innings, struck out four and walked two. The two runs she allowed were both solo homers, one to Kali Heivilin and the other to Marlie Giles, each entirely forgivable given her team led by nine runs and eight runs when they were hit.
Audrey Lowry tossed the final frame and though she allowed two hits, nobody crossed, making it four straight appearances she’s endured no damage, which means to the Sooners will bring at least three confident and recently effective pitchers into the World Series and three is a whole lot more than one.
“You always have the feeling, being in this program,” Deal said, “that anything is possible.”
Only now, after Saturday, beyond possible, anything may be probable.
The visiting team on their home field, the Sooners entered the top of the fifth inning leading 9-2, thus needing at least a run to force the run-rule.
Parker took care of that with her home run. After a pinch-hit Hannah Coor single, Garcia went deep again and after yet another Alabama pitching change, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas went deep herself.
It’s like the Sooners were a bunch of walking, talking, breathing and heavy hitting exclamation points against the Crimson Tide.
“They just battle, battle, battle,” said Murphy in salute.
It’s true, given national No. 1-seed Texas A&M’s historic booting from the field by Liberty, no matter the manner OU was to reach the World Series, it was always going to be the top seed still in the draw.
Only now, it’s better.
Because a victory like Saturday’s had not yet happened and now it has.
Like, did we mention the third run of the Sooners’ third inning came via suicide squeeze, Alaina Agbayani bunting home Chaney Helton (and for a base hit, too), who was running for Cydney Sanders, who delivered the first of OU’s six straight hits.
A suicide squeeze?
What can’t they do?
Seven other teams will be in Oklahoma City next week.
Perhaps one or two pretenders, but most will enter confidently, rightfully believing they have every chance to take the trophy home.
After Saturday, one thing is clear:
The Sooners, at least, are one of them.
It didn’t have to be this way, but it is.
Gasso recalled what she was thinking way back in September.
“I guess I just didn’t know what the expectation was,” she said.
Now, it’s whatever she wants it to be.