Bahl’s 2-hitter helps Oklahoma top Florida State, inch closer to third straight national title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jordy Bahl threw a two-hitter and struck out 10, and Oklahoma defeated Florida State 5-0 on Wednesday night to inch closer to a third consecutive national title.
The top-seeded Sooners (60-1) took a 1-0 lead in the Women’s College World Series best-of-three championship series and can clinch their seventh national title on Thursday.
Bahl, a sophomore, is 4-0 at the World Series and hasn’t allowed a run in 21 2/3 innings. She helped Oklahoma push its Division I record win streak to 52 games.
Oklahoma’s Tiare Jennings set the career World Series record for runs batted in with a single in the sixth that scored Rylie Boone and made it 5-0. Her 29 RBIs broke the record Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo set last year.
Mack Leonard, a senior who had only pitched 37 innings this season, got the start and took the loss for Florida State (58-10). She gave up one run and one hit. Kathryn Sandercock, the team’s ace, did not play.
The game started an hour late because of lightning near USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, then it was delayed again in the first inning and started two hours after the original start time.
The Sooners started the scoring in the fourth. Haley Lee was hit by a pitch, ending Leonard’s night. Makenna Reid stepped in for Florida State, but Kinzie Hansen doubled off her to score Bahl, the pinch runner for Lee. Alyssa Brito singled to score Hansen. Alynah Torres hit a short chopper and beat the throw to first, scoring Brito to push Oklahoma’s lead to 3-0.
In the fifth, Hansen’s single scored Jayda Coleman to make it 4-0.
Even when Florida State saw glimmers of hope, they were snuffed out. Kalei Harding hit what looked like it would be a double in the sixth, but Oklahoma centerfielder Jayda Coleman threw her out at second by several steps.
Jennings’ RBI made it 5-0.
Oklahoma would have added three more runs in the sixth, but Florida State left fielder Kaley Mudge went up over the fence to make a spectacular grab that robbed Lee.
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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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