Champ Series Bound: OU Outlasts Stanford

Monday, June 5

Oklahoma City, Okla.

11 AM CT

University of Oklahoma

59-1

Stanford

47-15

Oklahoma

Stanford

Champ Series Bound: OU Outlasts Stanford

June 05, 2023 | Softball

Box Score Box: OU 4, Stanford 2 (9)Highlights Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: John Rohde for SoonerSports.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — For presumably the first time in Tiare Jennings' storied softball career, an opponent opted to walk the player hitting directly in front of her for a chance to face Jennings at the plate.

Such was the unlikely scenario in Monday afternoon's scintillating semifinal before a Women's College World Series crowd of 12,071 at USA Softball Complex.

OU's three-time First Team All-American second baseman answered the challenge by roping a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to right-center in the top of the ninth inning to propel the top-ranked Sooners (59-1) to a pulsating 4-2 victory over Stanford (47-15).

"She's been delivering since she was delivered from the womb really," OU coach Patty Gasso said of Jennings, drawing laughter.

The triumph stretched the Sooners' Division-I record winning streak to 51.

With their quest for a NCAA three-peat still alive, the two-time defending champions will now face the Florida State-Tennessee winner in a best-of-three championship series that runs Wednesday through Friday.

Advancing to its fourth straight WCWS championship series, OU is searching for its seventh NCAA crown overall and its sixth in the last 10 seasons (there was no WCWS in 2020 due to COVID-19).

"We win a lot, and that's fabulous," Gasso said, "but sometimes I think we're so used to taking it for granted. This means a lot. To get to the championship game means a lot."

With the score tied at 2 and the top of the OU order coming to bat with two outs in the ninth inning, Cardinal coach Jessica Allister chose to have National Freshman of the Year righthander NiJaree Canady intentionally walk Sooners junior centerfielder Jayda Coleman to face Jennings.

Allister's pick-your-poison decision had some merit.

Coleman, who like Jennings also a three-time First Team All-American, previously had tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run against Stanford starter Alana Vawter.

Meanwhile, Jennings was 0-for-4 in the contest with two strikeouts against Canady, who relieved Vawter in the top of the fifth.

The overpowering Canady, whose 75 mph fastballs were accompanied by a 50 mph change-up earlier in the game, also had struck out Jennings twice in the Cardinal's first-round setback against the Sooners on Thursday.

"We talk about not being result-oriented, and that's exactly what happened today," Jennings said of her four earlier strikeouts against Canady. "I didn't get the results I wanted earlier, and so what? I'm going to step in there and keep on swinging. I shortened up my swing. I knew I had two strikes, so I was going to battle."

Jennings said she didn't give much thought to Coleman being intentionally walked in front of her.

"I didn't know they were going to do that to Jayda," said Jennings, who tied the WCWS career record with 28 RBI. "It kind of didn't matter to me. Either way, I was going to have to find a way to either get on or help my team as best I can."

Meanwhile, Allister defended her move.

"I think we'd make the same decision again," Allister said. "Obviously hindsight is 20/20, and it didn't end up the way that we wanted it to, but we liked the matchup. At this point, you can't be careful. You've got to trust your gut and go with the best decision."

Canady said, "I feel like the more hitters kind of see a pitcher, the more the odds could tip in their favor."

Allister concurred and added. "NiJa had been phenomenal against Jennings. Like NiJa said earlier … that's a lot of at-bats against a hitter. At some point the scales are going to tip."

Vawter noted OU's cerebral players also impacted the result.

"They make good adjustments," Vawter said. "They're good hitters. I think today personally I didn't have my best game, and I think you have to have your best game against them. With that said, yeah, credit to Oklahoma. They're good."

As lethal a combination Canady (17-3; 0.57 ERA) and Vawter (1.81 ERA) was, the Sooners countered with a formidable duo of their own in junior righthander Nicole May (0.91 ERA) and sophomore righthander Jordy Bahl (21-1, 0.97 ERA).

Gasso's hope was for May and Bahl to find success while requiring fewer pitches, and such was the case.

Bahl threw 55 pitches and struck out six while May threw 66 pitches and struck out three. Canady (85) and Vawter (72) combined to throw 157 pitches.

"What a battle today for both teams, very even and just back and forth the whole way," Gasso said. "Challenging always at the plate, with both pitchers are very good. A clean game, exciting game, but a great pitching duel."

The Cardinal did all its scoring in the bottom of the first inning, collecting three hits and jumping out to a 2-0 lead on a towering home run to left field on an 0-2 count from designated player Kylie Chung.

Striking out the final batter of that inning, May proceeded to retire 13 straight batters.

The Sooners pulled to within 2-1 in the top of the second inning on sacrifice fly to right from senior rightfielder Alynah Torres.

Coleman tied the score with her solo blast well above the wall in right-center.

After surrendering a lead-off single up the middle to start the sixth, May was relieved by Bahl.

"Nicole was throwing a great game," Bahl explained. "The game plan going in was I was supposed to be hot, ready to go by the fifth. And so by that point I'm just staying loose until then. Then when I got in, it was just to be present, make effective pitches, let the defense work, and just stay simple with everything and not let any moment get too big."

OU graduate senior shortstop Grace Lyons, who came to the plate batting just .111 (2 for 18) in the NCAA Tournament, opened the ninth inning with a double to left field.

"You can't think back to the results," Lyons said afterward. "You can't think of what not to do. You just want to set your mind … That kind of keeps us from being result-oriented, but we also just want to make an adjustment by getting on top of the ball. Amazing pitching staff (at Stanford). That's something we knew coming into this World Series. We're going to get everyone's best. We love challenges.

"It was so cool to see different people step up in different ways, and that all led into just how it ended. The entire game, top to bottom, offense, defense, we all got each other's backs, and it was a complete game."

As the Coleman-Jennings scenario unfolded, Gasso sheepishly stepped aside and allowed fate to take over.

"What I've learned about coaching is I need to speak less and let them understand," Gasso said. "They know what to do. So when I get in, if I have nervous energy, they feel it. So less is more on this side."

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