OKLAHOMA CITY — Heading into Monday’s WCWS semifinal game against Stanford, Oklahoma pitcher Jordy Bahl knew the plan.
When the fifth inning comes around, be ready.
OU junior Nicole May got the start in the circle and pitched the first five innings, recording three strikeouts and surrendering two runs. With OU and Stanford tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, OU coach Patty Gasso turned to Bahl.
Bahl was ready.
Despite surrendering a single against her first batter, Bahl recorded outs on the next three at-bats. She appeared to be in the jam in the eighth inning after surrendering back-to-back singles, but she left both runners stranded after forcing a pop out and two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the Sooners leading 4-2, she retired the side in order with two strikeouts and a fly out to seal the win and help her team advance to the Women’s College World Series. In four innings, she recorded six strikeouts and surrendered four hits without a score.
With the Sooners' offense struggling until late, Bahl's dominance in the circle proved to be the difference maker.
“Nicole was throwing a great game,” Bahl said afterwards. “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 (about being) present, make effective pitches, let the defense work and just stay simple with everything and not let any moment get too big.”
Bahl’s performance on Monday was yet another example of her ability to make big plays down the stretch.
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year has appeared in each of the Sooners’ last four postseason games and has not surrendered a single run. She’s pitched 14.2 innings across the Sooners’ three WCWS games, recording 20 strikeouts against 10 hits and zero runs.
Bahl pitched all seven innings in the 2-0 win against Stanford on Thursday, recording 11 strikeouts. She started again on Saturday against Tennessee, holding the Volunteers’ second-ranked offense to one hit in 3.2 innings.
While fellow OU pitchers Alex Storako and May have had big performances all season, Gasso has been counting on Bahl in big games.
“I think she's been delivering (in late-game situations) since she was delivered from the womb, really,” Gasso joked on Monday. “She is just made just tough as nails like that. Just a good, down-home, Midwestern kid that has a work ethic beyond anything I've seen, that has a passion and fearlessness about her and just absolutely embraces the biggest moments you could ever imagine when a lot of pitchers would go, ‘No, thank you. Don't call me.’ She's like, ‘Give me the ball. Give me the ball right now. Give it to me at the start of the game, give it to me in the middle, give it to me at the end, it doesn't matter, I'll be ready.’”
While Bahl’s dominance in the circle has led the Sooners’ defense, Gasso said it’s had an even bigger impact on the team’s mindset.
“It's really inspired a lot of our players to have that kind of mentality,” Gasso said. “I think they say it very well. We're not super results-oriented… We don't talk about any of those games. It's just allowing their mentality of love for the game and each other to take place without a lot of pushing and prodding from the coaching staff.”
With Monday’s win, the Sooners are just two wins away from their third consecutive national championship. And if Bahl continues making big plays in critical moments, the Sooners will be tough to beat.
