Oklahoma's Alyssa Brito, right, slides home to score past Stanford catcher Aly Kaneshiro during the second inning of an NCAA softball Women's College World Series game Monday, June 5, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
The Stanford softball team nearly ended the longest winning streak in NCAA softball history.
But Oklahoma slugger Tiare Jennings’ two-run double in the top of the ninth was the difference in the Sooners’ 4-2 win, extending the No. 1 seed’s winning streak to 51 games and ending Stanford’s season in the Women’s College World Series semifinals.
Stanford’s freshman sensation NiJaree Canady pitched her way out of trouble several times in the late innings and gave the Cardinal hitters a chance to win the game, which Stanford nearly did in the eighth.
But after a first-and-second, nobody-out rally in the eighth didn’t result in a walk-off hit, the Sooners broke the tie in the ninth when Jennings hit a Canady curveball to right-center for a two-run double. The game-winning hit sends the Sooners to their fourth-consecutive WCWS Finals and keeps their chance at a three-peat alive.
The loss means all three of Stanford’s trips to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series have ended in the semifinals (2001, 2004).
Playing as the home team, the No. 9 seed Stanford (47-15) got on the board when Kylie Chung hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first off of Oklahoma pitcher and Pleasanton native Nicole May.
Oklahoma (59-1) responded with one run in the second on a sacrifice fly before unanimous All-American Jayda Coleman tied the game in the third with a solo homer.
May, a former Bay Area News Group Player of the Year in softball when she starred at Foothill High, allowed just the two runs on Chung’s homer and four hits in five innings of work, striking out three.
Stanford started All-American pitcher Alana Vawter and the senior did well, only allowing two runs, four hits and two walks across four innings to the nation’s best offense and striking out two.
The Cardinal turned to Canady, the national Freshman of the Year. She delivered four scoreless innings from there with six strikeouts to keep Stanford alive, but allowed the two runs in the ninth to take the loss. She finishes her season with a 17-3 record.
Oklahoma reliever Jordy Bahl picked up the win with four shutout innings in relief of May, striking out six Stanford batters and only allowing four hits. She’s now 21-1.
Oklahoma will play the winner of the second WCWS semifinal between No. 3 seed Florida State and No. 4 seed Tennessee, with the Volunteers needing to beat the Seminoles twice to get a rematch with the Sooners. If Florida State wins either the first game or the second game, the Seminoles and Sooners will battle in a rematch of the 2021 WCWS Finals.
