OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma had seen its fair share of close games, including in the postseason, but they hadn't faced real adversity.
But on Monday, Florida threw the first punch, and it was emphatic one.
The Gators got things started with two hits in the bottom of the first inning, including an RBI single from Reagan Walsh that put the Sooners in an early 1-0 deficit. That momentum carried into the second, when the Gators received home runs from Kendra Falby and Skylar Wallace. Falby's hit was an inside-the-park home run, which helped push the Gators' lead to 3-0. By the fourth inning, the Gators had turned in seven hits and led 4-0.
That was enough to firmly take control, as they strolled to a 9-3 win over the Sooners in the Women's College World Series semifinals at Devon Park. The win forces an if-necessary for the Sooners that will be played on Tuesday.
"Tough game for us," OU coach Patty Gasso said. "Florida hit the ball really well today. Credit them that. We left 10 runners in scoring position, so that's tough when you look at the box scores.
"I don't think this was our best game by any means. The beauty of this is that we get another opportunity to make it right."
While the Gators started hot, they never really cooled off.
Gasso and OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha took a risk by opting to keep ace Kelly Maxwell sidelined in favor of senior Nicole May. But May struggled, surrendering four hits through the first two innings and was pulled for Kierston Deal after surrendering back-to-back hits to open the third inning.
Deal couldn't do much to slow down the Gators' offense. The Gators added four runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run home run from Walsh, and Wallace added her second home run of the day on a two-run bomb in the fifth inning to push the Gators' lead to six.
The Gators finished with 10 hits, marking just the third time the Sooners have surrendered double-digit hits in a game this season. The Gators' nine runs ties the most the Sooners have given up in a game. All of the Gators' runs came with two outs on the board.
As the Gators offense flourished, the Sooners' offense couldn't keep up as it logged zero hits and zero runs through the first three innings. That included a crucial missed opportunity in the second inning, when Kasidi Pickering stayed on third base despite a Rylie Boone lineout that gave her an opportunity to find home.
"I didn't think we were pressing," OU senior Tiare Jennings said. "I thought maybe we were just trying to find ways to keep up. Every time we thought we had momentum, boom, they'd come out and score more runs. We had good at-bats, hit the ball hard. They made some good plays. We had runners in scoring position. We couldn't capitalize on scoring."
The Sooners finally got on the board after Kinzie Hansen hit an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning. Tiare Jennings also added a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning that briefly cut the deficit to 7-3. But later in the frame, after Ella Parker singled and Alyssa Brito was walked, Pickering grounded out on the first pitch of her at-bat to leave both of them stranded. That proved particularly costly, considering the Gators added two runs in the bottom of the frame.
The Sooners did force six walks and loaded the bases in a last-ditch effort for a rally in the final inning, but Boone flied out for the final out. The Sooners finished with 10 runners left on base, compared to six for Florida.
But it was that type of day for the Sooners, who finished with seven hits. Florida pitcher Keagan Rothrock did just enough to keep the Sooners off balance, logging four strikeouts while throwing over 120 pitches.
"I think we made good adjustments towards the end," Jennings said. "By that time, I think it was too late. Going in tomorrow, (we're) just resetting. We know a game plan. We didn't stick with it today. But good thing about this is we have another day, we know who they're going to throw, what's going to happen. It's already written. We're just going to go out there and focus on what we can do."
Now, the Sooners' season is on the brink, and to keep their hopes alive for a fourth-consecutive championship, they'll have to figure out the Gators on Tuesday. It's not the first time the Sooners (56-7) have faced adversity this season, a year that included back-to-back losses against Oklahoma State and Texas.
Heading into tomorrow, they're hoping those experiences pay off.
"The Sooners play best after we get punched in the mouth," Hansen said. "That's what I've learned this season."
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