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The Oklahoma Sooners are national champions for the second year in a row and sixth time in program history.
Oklahoma defended its crown with a 10-5 victory over Texas in Game 2 of the Women's College World Series Championship Finals on Thursday. The Sooners swept the Longhorns in the best-of-three series that also included a blowout 16-1 win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
ESPN @espn👑 2021<br>👑 2022<br><br>The Sooners are BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS‼️‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/3YFhaKqgbC">pic.twitter.com/3YFhaKqgbC</a>
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfoSince national seeding began in 2005, <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> is the 1st school to win consecutive national titles as No. 1 overall seed.<br><br>Over the past 2 seasons, the Sooners have won 115 of their 122 games. <a href="https://t.co/cUMnjUM6Gd">pic.twitter.com/cUMnjUM6Gd</a>
While Oklahoma and Texas are Big 12 rivals, this was never a close fight.
The Sooners were ranked No. 1 all season as they looked to defend their national title, while the Longhorns reached the Women's College World Series Championship Finals for the first time in program history.
They were also the first-ever unseeded team to advance this far.
Game 1 made it seem inevitable that Oklahoma would lift the trophy, but Texas wasn't ready to go down without a fight and scored two runs in the first inning off sacrifice flies from Alyssa Washington and Mary Iakopo.
Were it not for Jayda Coleman's leaping catch at the wall to take away a potential two-run homer from Courtney Day, the Sooners would have been staring at a commanding 4-0 deficit in the opening frame.
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftballSomebody 9️⃣1️⃣1️⃣, <a href="https://twitter.com/jaydac00?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaydac00</a> just committed a ROBBERY!!! 🚨<br><br>📺 ESPN2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCtop10?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCtop10</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> <a href="https://t.co/42yx1ku1zf">pic.twitter.com/42yx1ku1zf</a>
Perhaps no deficit is too daunting for Oklahoma's powerful offense, but it was a defensive miscue from Texas that allowed the champions to get on the board first. Alyssa Brito doubled and then came around to score on Mia Scott's throwing error, and Taylon Snow's RBI single tied the game in the next at-bat.
Yet Estelle Czech pitched out of the jam and kept the game squared with the help of a double play as the theme of impressive defensive highlights continued:
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftballHow do you counteract heat? <br>𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖 ❄️<br><br>📺 ESPN2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> <a href="https://t.co/Woaku8j1oN">pic.twitter.com/Woaku8j1oN</a>
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftball𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 ☎️<br><br>📺 ESPN2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> x 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a><a href="https://t.co/2KTW5GU31V">pic.twitter.com/2KTW5GU31V</a>
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftballWith its latest double play, <a href="https://twitter.com/TexasSoftball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TexasSoftball</a> has tied the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> record with 7️⃣ throughout the series‼️ <a href="https://t.co/jX7XvW0hy0">pic.twitter.com/jX7XvW0hy0</a>
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftballHAVE A NIGHT, <a href="https://twitter.com/alyss_33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alyss_33</a> 🔥<br><br>📺 ESPN2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z8fpRRffK1">pic.twitter.com/Z8fpRRffK1</a>
It was just a matter of time, though, before the Sooners' bats got rolling, and they did just that in the fifth inning.
Brito's RBI double and a three-run blast from Kinzie Hansen broke the game open, and starter Jordy Bahl turned the game over to Oklahoma's bullpen for the final three innings after allowing two runs and four hits in the first four frames.
NCAA Softball @NCAASoftballBrito drives it down the line and <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Softball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Softball</a> has the lead for the first time tonight!!! 💥<br><br>📺 ESPN2<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ENh9RjUTG">pic.twitter.com/5ENh9RjUTG</a>
While Hope Trautwein gave up a three-run homer to Scott after Nicole May pitched 2.1 scoreless frames, the relief pitchers didn't exactly have to be lights out with the offense behind them.
Grace Lyons' three-run homer highlighted a four-run sixth inning as the onslaught continued and Oklahoma clinched a title behind an unstoppable offense that is among the best in the sport's history.
SportsCenter @SportsCenterIt's Grace Lyons' turn to go yard!<br><br>That's the Sooners' 17th home run of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCWS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCWS</a>, the most in a single year by any team 💪 <a href="https://t.co/WCOZZkBW05">pic.twitter.com/WCOZZkBW05</a>
The only way this season was realistically ending was with Oklahoma as the national champions, and the Big 12 representative fittingly put on another show in its final game.
