Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Defending champion Oklahoma (57-3) is two wins away from completing the greatest season in NCAA softball history.
ICYMI: The top-ranked Sooners entered Monday needing one win over No. 5 UCLA in the Women's College World Series semifinals, while the Bruins needed to win twice due to the double-elimination format.
- Shockingly, UCLA won the early game, 7-3, handing Oklahoma just its third loss of the season to force a winner-take-all afternoon game.
- The Sooners responded, pummeling the Bruins, 15-0, for the largest victory in WCWS history. It was their 40th win of the season via the mercy rule (leading by 8+ runs after five innings).
The superstar: Redshirt senior Jocelyn Alo, arguably the best hitter in softball history, went 4-4 with a WCWS-record 7 RBI thanks to this titanic three-run blast and a grand slam. Because of course she did.
- Alo's performance was par for the course, as her 120 career home runs are not only an NCAA record, but 25 more than second place. She's hit 32 this year to go along with 82 RBI and a .509 average. Yes, .509.
- She's the straw that stirs the drink for this absolute juggernaut that leads the nation in virtually every major hitting category, while also having the best team ERA (1.24).
What's next: Oklahoma will face Texas in the best-of-three WCWS final beginning tomorrow. The Longhorns, the first unseeded team to ever make it here, handed the Sooners their first loss in April but dropped the rematch last Saturday, 7-2.