Oklahoma tops FSU 4-2, knocks Seminoles out of NCAA Softball Super Regionals

NORMAN, Okla. — Kasidi Pickering went 2-for-4 with a home run, Maya Bland threw two perfect innings of relief, and Oklahoma defeated Florida State 4-2 Friday night, sweeping the best-of-three Norman Super Regional and stretching its win streak to a record 17 consecutive games in NCAA Tournament play.

Oklahoma (54-6) clinched its eighth trip to the Women’s College World Series in program history and its fourth in a row.

The Sooners beat Florida State 2-0 in a best-of-three series to win the 2023 WCWS. They also pounded the Seminoles 11-3 on Thursday night.

After Jayda Coleman flied out to lead off the top of the third inning, Tiare Jennings singled to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a passed ball. Ella Parker walked on four pitches in a row, and Jennings scored when, a couple of pitches later, Parker was caught in a pickle and tagged out.

Florida State’s Jaysoni Beachum led off the bottom half of the inning with a homer to make it 1-1.

Coleman led off the fifth inning with a single and, after Jennings lined out, moved to third on a single down the line in right by Parker. Coleman scored and Parker took second on a wild pitch. After Alyssa Brito lined out, Pickering hit a two-out, two-run homer that made it 4-1.

Kalei Harding hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth that cut the Seminoles’ deficit to two.

Karlie Keeney (6-1) came on in relief of Kierston Deal with one out in the third and pitched 2-2/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits to earn the win. Bland pitched the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a baserunner to notch the save.

Mimi Gooden came on in the sixth inning for Florida State (46-16) and allowed two runs on three hits over 1-2/3 innings, taking the loss for the Seminoles, runners-up at the 2023 and 2021 WCWS.