NORMAN, Okla. — Three-time defending national champion Oklahoma is one win away from returning to the Women's College World Series.
Alyssa Brito went 3 for 3 with two home runs and the second-seeded Sooners beat No. 15 seed Florida State 11-3 in six innings in Game 1 of the best-of-three Norman Super Regional on Thursday night.
Kasidi Pickering had two hits for the Sooners (53-6), who got 11 hits from eight players.
Sooners coach Patty Gasso said this was the best she's seen her team accomplish this season.
“From top to bottom, it's hard to breathe when you go up against these guys, when they're really feeling it,” he said. “It's probably the first time in a long time that I feel from top to bottom, we were making really good changes and now it looks really good.”
Oklahoma ace Kelli Maxwell (20-2) went the distance for the win. He allowed three runs and four hits in five innings. Gasso said she was happy to see Maxwell fight through some tough innings. Florida State left eight runners.
“It's a victory,” Gasso said. “Probably no one knows what I'm talking about. But for Kelly to put up with that and fight and throw over 100 pitches, that's a win for her.”
Florida State loaded the bases in the first with two outs but did not score against Maxwell.
Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings homered in the first, the 95th of her career. That tied her for second in school history with Lauren Chamberlain and placed her in third place in Division I history.
Oklahoma scored a run in the second, but Florida State's Devyn Flaherty singled in the third to drive in two runs and tie the score.
Brito's solo home run in the third highlighted a three-run inning that put the Sooners up 5-2.
Florida State got two with no outs against Maxwell in the fourth and again failed to score.
Florida State starter Ashtyn Danley lasted just two innings after allowing five runs on six hits. Brito hit new pitcher Emma Wilson out of the park in the fourth for a two-run blast that gave the Sooners a 7-2 lead. Kinzie Hansen followed with a two-run shot to make the score 9-2.
The Seminoles won the national title in 2018 and lost to Oklahoma in the 2021 and 2023 championship series. That's why Gasso expects Florida State to play better in Game 2 on Friday.
“I don't expect us to have a game like today because they are too competitive,” Gasso said. “They're very well trained. They've been here before. They know what it feels like.” “They're going to fight.”
In the Los Angeles Super Regional, Maya Brady hit two solo home runs to help No. 6 UCLA beat No. 11 Georgia 8-0.
Brady went 3-for-4 and scored three runs and Jadelyn Allchin had three hits and scored twice for the Bruins.
Kaitlyn Terry (21-1) pitched a four-hitter. She struck out five and threw 93 pitches.
