NORMAN — Oregon made one thing clear on Sunday.

If the Sooners wanted to advance to next weekend's super regionals, they were going to have to earn it. That was particularly evident given the way the Sooners started the game.

The Sooners — who batted first as the visiting team — took an early 1-0 lead after Kasidi Pickering scored on Jayda Coleman on a sacrifice fly. In the next inning, Coleman hit a double that scored Avery Hodge to push the lead to two runs.

But the Ducks had an answer in the third inning. Tehya Bird hit a solo home run and Emma Kauf hit an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2, ensuring the Sooners would be in a rock fight.

Tiare Jennings, who was excellent in the Sooners' win over Oregon on Saturday, broke the tie in the fourth inning with an RBI single that scored Coleman.

It wasn't the most explosive offensive game, as the Sooners again found themselves in a battle with the Ducks. But Jennings' hit made the difference, as the Sooners outlasted the Ducks for a 3-2 win at Love's Field.

The win advances the Sooners to Super Regionals for the 14th-straight year.

"It was just a really hard fought, very hot, very hard-fought game," OU coach Patty Gasso said. "(I'm) proud of this group and the fact that we’re getting to a super regional is not easy. It’s not easy. And now that it’s over I can tell you that I really was not comfortable with Oregon being here because I know what (Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi) does with that team and they’re always like that underdog, we’re going to fight you until the end, we’re unafraid. And we needed to feel that. It brought out the best in us.

“Run rules do not help the Sooners. Run rules give us false satisfaction that we are that good. We need hard fought games like this to take us to the level we need to."

The Sooners' pitching staff also gave the offense enough breathing room to figure things out.

Nicole May got the start in the circle, surrendering five hits and striking out six batters through the first five innings. Outside of that third inning, May was a steady presence at pitcher and was helped by fantastic plays, particularly Rylie Boone's throw from right field to home that kept the Ducks from taking the lead in the third inning.

With the Sooners leading in the sixth inning, Kelly Maxwell was brought into close. The senior — who got the start in Saturday's semifinal — allowed just one hit in the final two innings.

"I think all week long we've worked on being decisive," Maxwell said, "and I think that was the word of the day and I think Nicole May started with that and I think I just wanted to pick her up in that moment and have her back and be decisive too.”

Here's a few other notes from the game:

— Jayda Coleman had one of her best games of the season, going three for four at the plate with one RBI. She accounted for half of the Sooners' hits and two of the team's three runs, marking her second game this season with at least three hits.

"Every week there’s someone that comes in and takes off and does really well," Coleman said. "That’s what’s so great about this team is I never feel like it’s on me. I can just go out there and do what I do. I can take the walk if I need because I know there will be other people that can come in and hit me in. Just as a offense, just being free and swinging hard and just trusting the process.”

— Before Coleman's RBI double in the second inning, the Sooners got a huge lift from Hodge. After a 12-pitch battle against Elise Sokolsky, which saw Hodge faced a two-strike count, she was hit by a pitch to advance to first.

The normally even-keeled Hodge let out a display of emotion, which fired up the Sooners, and it led to a huge sequence.

"In my mind today, I've been waiting to see like a burst of emotion and energy and she was fired up and that at-bat was tremendous and it led to a run," Gasso said. “So in three runs were scored, two by Jada and one by Avery. And she doesn't get the opportunity as much as she wants, but she made the most of it today. I really felt confident with her at bats and her attitude towards the fight today.”

— Heading into the bottom of the fifth, Gasso made a somewhat-predictable defensive adjustment. She inserted Alynah Torres into the game at first base, replacing Cydney Sanders.

Sanders has struggled offensively since her home run bonanza in early March. In her last 49 at-bats, she's logged just six hits for a batting average of .122%. She went zero for three against the Ducks.

Gasso could face some tough decisions moving forward. If Torres plays first base, that puts Avery Hodge at second base, who has also struggled offensively this season. Torres is the best offensive player of the trio, but Sanders is the best defensive player.

That'll be something to monitor moving forward.

— Sophomore pitcher Kierston Deal did not make an appearance in the circle this weekend. That's been the constant juggle for the Sooners with a loaded pitching staff.

— The Sooners await the winner of Florida State and Auburn to find out their opponent in next weekend's Super Regional. That game is currently in progress.

Super regionals will be held next weekend.

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