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Church of Crimson: OU softball is creating its own 'Sooner Magic'

Editor's Note: This is the latest installment of my column series that runs on Sundays. With this series, I typically focus on one big idea and follow it up with one or two smaller notes. If you have any suggestions on something you’d like me to write about, please feel free to reach out or discuss them in the comment section.

Any fan of Oklahoma athletics has certainly heard the term “Sooner Magic.”

I’m not sure it has a proper definition. If you ask OU fans, they’d likely tell you that you know it when you see it.

The roots of it can be traced to 1976, when Barry Switzer’s Sooners trailed Nebraska 17-7 before miraculously clinching a 20-17 victory in the final moments. Since then, there’s been several iconic plays that have been attributed to Sooner Magic.

Most fans likely have a favorite play. Keith Jackson’s 41-yard catch that set up the game-winning field goal to beat Nebraska in 1986? Roy Williams and the 'Superman' dive against Texas in 2001?

Sooner Magic, historically, has been mostly limited to football. But when the OU softball team defeated Clemson 8-7 on Saturday, clinching the super regional championship and a spot in the Women’s College World Series, it proved something.

Patty Gasso and her squad are creating their own version of Sooner Magic.

How else to explain what happened in the seventh inning?

Clemson had simply out-executed the Sooners late in the game, scoring seven unanswered runs to take a 7-4 lead. The Sooners’ offense, which had no momentum, needed at least three runs in the top of the seventh to extend the game.

Tiare Jennings and Haley Lee found their way on base, but there were two outs on the board when Kinzie Hansen stepped to the plate. Hansen, facing Clemson pitcher Valerie Cagle, quickly fell down 0-2 in the count.

One more strike, or one more out, the Sooners would’ve had to return to Marita Hynes Field for Game 3 of the super regional with their season on the line. Instead, Hansen ripped a three-run home run to left field, tying the game and forcing extra innings.

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But it wasn’t just the fact that she hit it. She made the final game at Marita Hynes one for the history books. Plus, it helped the Sooners secure their 48th win in a row, breaking the all-time NCAA record.

Gasso didn’t call it Sooner Magic. But what she did call it wasn’t far off.

“It hasn't even sunk in,” Gasso said. “It'll take a little time for me to really understand it, but you could not have scripted this.

“It's diving intervention. In my mind, that's how it works.”

Most instances of Sooner Magic are usually surprising. They’re unexpected. That’s where I think Gasso’s squad stands out.

Was Hansen’s home run an incredible moment? Yes. But was it completely unexpected? Was there anybody totally surprised that it happened? Did it feel almost… inevitable?

Once Hansen tied it, was anyone completely surprised that Jennings blasted a solo home run to open the ninth inning, sealing the victory?

That’s what is so special about this group of Sooners. Of course, they’re incredibly talented. They work really hard. But they have a belief they can win any game, and they manifest that belief into incredible plays on the field.

"It was just the understanding — we know this — we're never out of a game,” Gasso said. “No matter what. We could be down by five, four, whatever. We're not out of the game, and we believe that. And we've done it on this stage with so much at stake. And the stakes are higher. Can we do this? I guess we can. They don't doubt it. And that's just something...I don't even know how to explain it. You can feel it around you.”

If you’re a believer in Sooner Magic, consider it alive and well. It’s just a new version, and it resides in the OU softball dugout.

* An spectacular catch from Cydney Sanders: I didn’t mention this in my game story from yesterday — there was so much stuff to cover, it was impossible to get to everything in one story — but I wanted to highlight this incredible grab by Cydney Sanders in the seventh inning.

The play landed at No. 2 in Sportscenter’s Top 10 on Saturday night. But it wasn’t just a highlight grab, it was an important one, too. It was the third out in the bottom of the seventh, and it forced the game into extra innings.

The regular season was up and down for Sanders. But in the postseason, she’s been one of the Sooners’ best players.

* Patty Gasso likes IHOP: The press conference after the game went 20 minutes and covered all of the usual big-picture topics and more.

One question that hadn’t been asked was about Patty Gasso’s birthday. In the midst of all the chaos, the long-tenured OU coach turned 61. So for the final question, I jokingly asked Gasso where this birthday ranks for her.

She didn’t give me a ranking, but she said it was a good one because the team got her an IHOP gift card.

“I love IHOP,” Gasso said. “I like french toast and coffee at IHOP. I go with my husband every once in a while, so they got me an IHOP (gift card) and I was pretty excited about it.”

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