OU Softball: Oklahoma Closes Out Florida State to Return to WCWS

NORMAN — Florida State valiantly held off Oklahoma for five innings. 

The Seminoles’ decorated senior class wasn’t going to exit the NCAA Tournament without a fight, but Kasidi Pickering’s two-run bomb put the Sooners on the brink of returning to the Women’s College World Series. 

It wasn’t until Jayda Coleman robbed Jaysoni Beachum’s home run in the bottom half of the frame that the party at Love’s Field really started, however. 

The senior outfielder, playing her last contest in Norman, tracked the Florida State freshman’s ball all the way to the wall, leaped and extended her glove above the white line, and hauled in the thunderbolt out, igniting the packed stadium into a fired-up frenzy. 

Coleman’s heroics were necessary for the Sooners to finish off Florida State 4-2 on Friday, punching OU’s ticket back to the Women’s College World Series. 

JAYDA COLEMAN HOME RUN ROBBERY 😱 pic.twitter.com/hNqrbSoZHh

— ESPN (@espn) May 25, 2024

“Proud, prideful day for the Sooners,” OU coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “… The Sooners really have been trending upwards. I liked the tight games. I think it’s really good for us. I’m really proud of this group tonight.”

Pickering’s home run opened up a tight battle. 

Florida State started freshman Ashtyn Danley in the circle, but quickly moved to Makenna Reid, who hadn’t pitched since April. 

Reid lived off her off-speed, keeping the Sooners off balance, but savvy base running put Oklahoma on top in the third. 

Tiare Jennings’ single put her aboard, and a pair of passed balls moved the OU shortstop over to third. 

Freshman Ella Parker drew a walk to bring Alyssa Brito to the plate. 

After the first pitch to Brito, Parker started moving to second, daring Florida State catcher Michaela Edenfield to throw down to second. 

Edenfield obliged, and as Parker prolonged the intentional rundown, Jennings had enough time to shuttle down the line and cross home plate to open the scoring. 

“We were looking to score somehow and Ella did a really nice job of creating the rundown,” Gasso said. “You create the chase with the second baseman and then you have to get her to stop, turn her body and try to throw to home plate, which is very difficult. So we gave up an out, but we gained a run and that was fine with us.”

But Florida State had an immediate answer. 

Beachum, the Seminoles’ star freshman, homered on a rope to left field to level the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning. 

Shortly after the home run, Gasso switched out starter Kierston Deal in favor of Karlie Keeney. 

Deal only surrendered the lone run, but she fell behind 2-0 in the count to six of the 12 batters she faced. 

Keeney settled things down in the third and the fourth, allowing Oklahoma to open up a three-run lead in the fifth. 

Coleman scored on a wild pitch bef