Patty Gasso Makes History Once More as Oklahoma Defeats Texas to Win Softball National Championship
The second-ranked Sooners dominated top-ranked Texas twice to secure their eighth national title and an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship.
OKLAHOMA CITY —Patty Gasso consistently seems to make the right decisions, even when it appears there are no obvious options.
On Thursday night against Texas, Gasso delivered a remarkable performance.
With the Sooners capturing their eighth national championship—and their fourth consecutive, an unprecedented achievement in collegiate softball—Gasso and her Hall of Fame coaching saw their team secure an 8-4 victory over their rivals in the Women’s College World Series.
Despite having a roster full of experience, including 10 seniors, five All-Americans, and some of the finest talent in the game, Gasso made some surprising choices. She turned to a couple of lesser-known pitchers from the bullpen, opted for a promising young player over a healthy starter at second base, and kept a struggling veteran who ultimately delivered the game’s most crucial hit.
Gasso caught the softball world—and the top-seeded Longhorns—off guard by starting Karlie Keeney as the Sooners’ pitcher.
Texas likely had limited information on Keeney, who entered with a 6-1 record and a 1.66 ERA, having made only four starts this season, with her last start being on May 5. Her only appearance since May 24 had been a brief one-third of an inning against Florida earlier in the WCWS.
Although Keeney had participated in four NCAA Tournament games, her 59 innings pitched this season did not fully prepare her for the challenge of taking on the top team in the country and the Sooners’ arch-rival to claim the national title.
The Liberty transfer proved herself resilient. Although she gave up four hits and four walks, she managed to surrender just two runs in 2 2/3 innings.
At that moment, Gasso went even further into her bullpen, calling on flamethrower Paytn Monticelli, who had only pitched 19 innings this season (with one start). Monticelli hadn’t seen action since May 9, when she threw 2 innings against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament. For the season, she held a 0-0 record and a 1.11 ERA.
Monticelli stepped in after Keeney had loaded the bases with two outs and secured a groundout to first base, ending the Longhorns’ rally in the third inning.
Additionally, Gasso opted for sophomore Avery Hodge at second base instead of senior Alynah Torres.
This decision was relatively straightforward, as Hodge had been performing exceptionally well during the WCWS. She consistently made difficult plays at second base and contributed key offensive hits. With four hits in the series, including a couple of doubles, Hodge improved her season batting average from .266 to .284. This decision came after Torres, who had been hit in the face by a fly ball against UCLA, made a return as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, with a two-run lead shrinking and Texas gaining momentum in the sixth inning, Hodge made a remarkably smart play to thwart the Longhorns’ rally.
Mia Scott of Texas reached base on an infield single that brought Joley Mitchell home, narrowing the Sooners’ lead to 5-4. Hodge charged after Scott’s slow roller but initially missed it with her glove. However, she stayed alert, picked up the ball, and looked toward the infield as Scott approached first base. As Scott rounded first base, Hodge quickly glanced over her left shoulder and tossed the ball behind Scott to Cydney Sanders at first base, who tagged Scott out for the third out.
In the fourth inning, Sanders also delivered the game’s most significant hit. With Texas ahead 3-2 and the Sooners having loaded the bases with three consecutive singles, Gasso chose to let Sanders bat in a crucial moment rather than bringing in a pinch-hitter like Torres or Riley Ludlam. Sanders responded by hitting a ball off the wall in right-center field, giving the Sooners a 5-3 lead.
Ace Kelly Maxwell stepped in to close out the game, adding her name to the list of recent national champions like Gisele Juarez, Hope Trautwein, and Jordy Bahl.
The Sooners’ key players delivered as expected. Jayda Coleman contributed two hits and an RBI, Rylie Boone recorded three hits, and Kinzie Hansen and Alyssa Brito made crucial hits. Kasidi Pickering added two hits and two RBIs, while Ella Parker’s two-run double in the decisive three-run sixth inning helped seal the victory.
Oklahoma’s victory on this day seemed inevitable, especially after their dominant 8-3 win over Texas the previous day. The Longhorns haven’t defeated the Sooners in Oklahoma since 2014.
With key performances from Keeney, Monticelli, Hodge, and Sanders—each delivering crucial hits, defensive plays, and important pitches—the Longhorns faced an uphill battle.
In front of another enthusiastic crowd of 12,324 at the Sooners’ unofficial home, Oklahoma’s dominance in college softball is unmatched.
Arizona won eight national titles over 16 years from 1991 to 2007, and UCLA, the record-holder with 11 titles, won their first in 1982 and their latest in 2019, spanning 37 years.
Oklahoma’s eight national championships under Patty Gasso, which tie them with Arizona for second all-time, have been achieved in a 25-year span from 2000 to 2024. Notably, Gasso’s last seven titles came in a 12-year period from 2013 to 2024, including an unprecedented four consecutive championships.
UCLA (1988-89-90) is the only other team to win three consecutive titles.
The dominance of UCLA and Arizona, which claimed 13 of the first 16 NCAA titles, ended during a period from 2005 to 2014 when five new champions emerged: Michigan (2005), Arizona State (2008), Washington (2009), Alabama (2012), and Florida (2014).
Rather than succumbing to the changing dynamics of the sport, Gasso took advantage of the shifting power and reshaped collegiate softball.
Now, the coach often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) ties Arizona’s Mike Candrea and UCLA’s Sharon Backus with her eighth national championship, the most by any college softball coach.
