Oklahoma Softball Advances to WCWS Semifinals with Victory Over Oregon
OKLAHOMA CITY — In a thrilling matchup, No. 2 Oklahoma Softball (52-8) capitalized on three home runs to secure a 4-1 victory against No. 16 Oregon (54-10) in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) on Sunday night, June 1. The Sooners will now face No. 12 Texas Tech (52-12) at 6 p.m. Monday, seeking to advance to the best-of-three Championship Series later this week.
The game drew a crowd of 12,458 at Devon Park, where senior first baseman Cydney Sanders shone with two home runs, while redshirt junior catcher Isabela Emerling contributed a key solo shot. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso emphasized the urgency of the elimination round: "We’re in elimination time now, so you do everything and anything you can." The Sooners have demonstrated their resilience with nine consecutive elimination wins at the WCWS.
Lefthander Kierston Deal was strong early in the game, pitching 2.2 innings before handing the ball to relief ace Sam Landry (25-5), who earned the win. Landry delivered an impressive performance, allowing just two hits in 4.1 innings while striking out six and lowering her ERA to 1.85.
Sanders’ first homer in the third inning gave the Sooners a crucial 3-1 lead, while her second shot in the fifth established the final score. Emerling’s homer earlier in the game tied the score at 1-1. Sanders, who now has 58 career homers, expressed her excitement: "I have never done that before, especially in the World Series."
Oregon’s sole run came from a solo shot by Dezianna Patmon. This loss marked the Ducks’ first defeat of the season when hitting a home run, standing at 42-1 in that situation. Conversely, OU’s record improves to 11-0 in games where Emerling hits a home run.
The Sooners will look to continue their winning momentum against Texas Tech in their next challenge.
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