Sooners showcase their championship ceiling as they again reach the WCWS

NORMAN — Patty Gasso couldn't help but simply watch her team.

Oklahoma blew the game open in the third inning, piling on eight runs to put the game into run-rule territory. Alabama was flustered, changing pitchers three different times in the frame in hopes of finding something that would slow down the Sooners' offense.

As the avalanche continued, the Sooners were dancing in the dugout as the crowd at Love's Field roared. It was an emotional moment for Gasso, who watched her young, inexperienced team flex its championship muscle in Saturday's 13-2 win over the Crimson Tide.

The win punches the Sooners' ticket to the Women's College World Series for the ninth consecutive time.

"I was talking to the coaches and I said, 'If we win this game, how do you think this team is going to react?'" Gasso recalled. "And we were like, 'We don't know.' They do things differently.

"... I was watching them in the dugout and they were having a blast. That's when I knew that they know how to celebrate. You could feel still the wave coming. We weren't done. You could feel they wanted to keep playing instead of sitting back going, 'We've got this.' They just kept going. I just love to see them loving what they're doing and celebrate it."

That third-inning wave did two things for the Sooners. It completely overwhelmed Alabama, and it proved that the Sooners have grown into a championship caliber team.

The game was still in the balance when Gabbie Garcia stepped to the plate. The Sooners led 1-0, and Sydney Barker was on first base with one out. The true freshman promptly delivered a two-run home run to right field that extended the lead.

That appeared to kick start the offense. The third inning saw the Sooners reach the bases on nine consecutive at-bats, including eight base hits. The Sooners snagged base hits from Cydney Sanders, Ailana Agbayani, Isabela Emerling, Abigale Dayton, Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker, who opened the frame with a ground out but returned to the plate for an RBI double that scored two runs and capped off the run.

It was a defining moment for the Sooners, particularly given their struggles when they lost twice last month at Alabama. The Sooners reached a low point offensively during that three-game series, recording just 15 total base hits and seven total runs.

They had eight base hits and eight runs in the third inning alone on Saturday.

It was a frame that saw the Sooners exact revenge against a Crimson Tide that had outplayed them just six weeks ago.

"They felt they had the chance to make it right," Gasso said. "I know we walked away from Alabama — and they're a great team, and their fans were phenomenal and we looked a little bit lost at times. So to be able to get that opportunity to show it right and play it right meant a lot to us.

"So it was kind of wonderful to get to the World Series through them because they're so good, but just make it right. I know that's something that I feel and they feel as well."

That inning was the biggest example yet that the Sooners have peaked at the right time. They outscored their opponents 47-3 during the regional and super regional tournaments, finishing with run rules in four of five games. In the series-clinching game against Alabama, the Sooners finished with 14 hits and six home runs.

It simply wasn't a given the Sooners would find this type of groove. They've won the last four national championships, but only eight players returned from last year's team. There were plenty of rough patches as the Sooners navigated a ton of youth and inexperience this season.

But for a few minutes on Saturday, the Sooners proved more than just growth. They proved they have what it takes to win another championship.

"We're fighting the good fight and we're keeping the faith and we're all hands on deck," Parker said. "So just being able to play that (way) with togetherness is what we're looking for."

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