JOHN ROHDE
SOONERSPORTS.COM CONTRIBUTOR
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Sooners softball team still has its dreams alive for fourpeating as national champions.
The Sooners (56-6) reached Monday’s Women’s College World Series semifinals with an opening- round 9-1 six-inning win over Duke on Thursday, then edging UCLA 1-0 on Saturday.
The Sooners were slated to meet Florida on Monday afternoon in the semifinals, only needing one win to reach the WCWS Championship Series, which will begin Wednesday at Devon Park at Hall of Fame Stadium.
In the victory over Duke, Jayda Coleman scored twice, stole a base, went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and also finished about five feet short of hitting a home run.
As is her way, Coleman also flashed the glove in the field.
With the Sooners leading 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Coleman’s diving catch in left-center for the final out saved two runs from scoring and pulling Duke to within 4-3. Senior catcher Kinzie Hansen went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, which included a tworun shot to left field in the fourth inning that gave the Sooners the lead for good. Third baseman Alyssa Brito also went 2 for 3 and added two RBIs.
Second baseman Alynah Torres added a tworun homer of her own, as did first baseman Cydney Sanders.
The Sooners excelled offensively with 11 hits and three homers, and defensively with flawless fielding snuffing out several potential hits.
In the win over UCLA, OU pitcher Kelly Maxwell (21-2) hurled a two-hit, complete-game shutout.
The game’s only run came compliments of four-time, first-team All-American OU shortstop Tiare Jennings who slammed a towering solo home run to center field in the bottom of the third inning.
The outcome pushed OU’s NCAA Tournament winning streak to 20 games. OU’s last NCAA Tournament loss came to UCLA in the 2019 WCWS finals, with the Bruins winning 5-4.
