ESPN News Services
May 24, 2025, 06:13 PM ET
NORMAN, Okla. -- Gabbie Garcia hit two of Oklahoma's four home runs as the four-time defending national champion Sooners beat Alabama 13-2 in five innings Saturday to win the Norman Super Regional and clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series.
Oklahoma (50-9), which is 42-0 this season when scoring at least six runs, has won at least 50 games in nine consecutive seasons and advanced to the WCWS each of the past nine times it was played (2020 was canceled due to COVID-19).
The Sooners enter the WCWS having outscored opponents 47-5 in the NCAA tournament. Their plus-42 run differential is the seventh best by any team in the tournament all time, with five of the previous six going on to win the title, according to ESPN Research.
Nelly McEnroe-Marinas scored on a single by Abigale Dayton, who finished with three RBIs, in the second inning, and the Sooners exploded for eight runs -- sparked by Garcia's first two-run homer and capped by Ella Parker's two-RBI double -- in the third to take a 9-0 lead.
Parker, Garcia and McEnroe-Marinas each hit a home run in the fifth inning to give the Sooners a 13-2 advantage.
Parker had three hits -- two doubles -- and three RBIs.
Kierston Deal (10-2) gave up two runs on three hits with four strikeouts over four innings, and Audrey Lowry pitched a scoreless fifth to seal it.
Kali Heivilin and Marlie Giles each hit a solo shot for Alabama (40-23). Catelyn Riley (11-4) pitched 2⅓ innings and gave up five runs on six hits with three walks.
Garcia, a freshman, has 20 home runs this season.
Oregon advances to seventh WCWS
Lyndsey Grein struck out 10, surrendered three hits and ended the contest by retiring 21 straight batters and Oregon overpowered Liberty to lead the 16th-seeded Ducks to a 13-1 win in the Eugene Super Regional on Saturday to clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series.
Oregon heads to the WCWS for the seventh time in school history and is making its first appearance in the WCWS since 2018.
Grein moved her record to 29-2 on the season. Oregon (53-8) sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to break it open.
Emma Cox's three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning gave Oregon a 6-1 lead. Cox's homer came after Paige Sinicki started the fifth with a base hit then stole second. Dezianna Patmon walked, and Ayanna Shaw entered to pinch run for her. Liberty lifted starting pitcher Paige Bachman for reliever Elena Escobar to face Cox who homered on a 1-2 pitch.
In the top of the second, Sinicki hit a 2-2 pitch over the right-center field wall to knot the score at 1. Later, with the bases loaded and two out, Kai Luschar hit a high chopper to short to drive in Patmon to make it 2-1. In the fourth, Katie Flannery doubled to right center scoring Kaylynn Jones for a 3-1 lead.
Liberty leadoff hitter Savannah Woodard hit her ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning on 1-1 pitch to give the Flames their lone lead.
Liberty became the seventh NCAA super regional participant in Conference USA history and first since UAB in 2013.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
