Oklahoma Softball has secured a third consecutive national championship by winning the Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series against Florida State University with a score of 3-1. The game was played at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City on Thursday night.
The first three innings of the game were scoreless as both teams were engaged in a pitching duel. The matchup was between Alex Strako of the University of Oklahoma and Kathryn Thundercock of Florida State University, who were selected for the 2023 All-American First Team and also won the 2021 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after being transferred from Michigan. Strako was named as the Pitcher of the Year and started for the Sooners instead of Jordy Burr. The Oklahoma defense helped Strako keep Florida State in check, including a stunning catch by outfielder Jada Coleman that prevented a home run by the Seminoles.
Florida State took the lead in the fourth inning with a single run scored from Mac Leonard’s home run. However, Oklahoma fought back immediately, scoring a few runs of their own. Sophomore infielder Sidney Sanders hit his first home run of the night in the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1. Redshirt senior infielder Grace Lyons then hit a homer to give Oklahoma the lead, making it 2-1. This homer was also Oklahoma’s 500th home run of the season.
Burr finally joined the game as a pitcher for the Sooners in the fifth inning, and he did not allow an earned run in the World Series. Strako exited the day with a 1.16 ERA, allowing just three hits and one home run.
With this victory, Oklahoma Softball becomes the second team in NCAA softball history to win the national title for three consecutive years. UCLA previously accomplished the same feat in 1988-1990. Moreover, Oklahoma will start their 2023-2024 season with a 53-game winning streak, which is the longest in NCAA softball history.