OKLAHOMA CITY – After spending the regular season battling for Big 12 supremacy, No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Oklahoma took their rivalry to college softball’s biggest stage in the championship series of the Women’s College World Series. Oklahoma (58-7) drew first blood with an impressive 7-12 win over the Longhorns and is now one win away from an unprecedented four consecutive national titles. Can Texas (55-9) bounce back on Thursday and keep its hopes alive for a first national title?
Let’s recap game one.
More: Texas, Oklahoma split four previous softball games this year. What that means in the WCWS
Texas played very tentative and skittish against the three-time defending national champion and has not looked sharp. The Horns managed only four hits — two of them bloop singles — and committed three errors as they lose 8-3 to the dominant Sooners. It wasn’t pretty. The winner of Game 1 has won 78% of the WCWS. –– Kirk Bohls
One bright spot for Texas: Outfielder Ashton Maloney with a spectacular, home run-robbing catch to deny freshman Kasidi Pickering. –– Kirk Bohls
Texas coach Mike White inserts Citlaly Gutierrez for the seventh. Smart move to get any nerves out of her system in her first mound duty in this Series. — Kirk Bohls
After a long replay, Texas speedster Kayden Henry somehow avoids a tag by Cyndney Sanders, which brings power-packed pinch hitter Vic Hunter to the plate with two on and two out. The Longhorns are trying to make this interesting, but OU ace Kelly Maxwell doesn’t need that drama. She fans Hunter with some high heat . — Thomas Jones
I’m a little surprised OU hasn’t pulled starter Kelly Maxwell to save wear and tear on her left arm. Texas’ Vivi Martinez scores on a bloop single by Katie Stewart after Martinez reached third on a tough error call on OU first baseman Cydney Sanders. — Kirk Bohls
Texas catcher Reese Atwood forgot there are 3 outs in an inning. After Jayda Coleman struck out, Atwood flipped the ball high in the air to Estelle Czech on the mound while Avery Hodge steals third. Very sleepy play. And it cost Texas a run when Jennings singles in Hodge with two outs. — Kirk Bohls
Oklahoma ace Kelly Maxwell just continues to dominate the Texas lineup. The Horns haven’t been crushing the ball up here other than the 10-0 rout of Florida, and they haven’t come close to solving the OU lefty, who is mowing down the Texas batters and has given up just the one hit. — Kirk Bohls
Smart move to bring in Estelle Czech and save Mac Morgan’s arm. I’d even let Citlaly Gutierrez throw an inning to get familiar with the mound and the setting so she’d be accustomed to the atmosphere if she’s needed in another game. — Kirk Bohls
The first error of the game leads to another Oklahoma run. Kinzie Hansen scores from third after second baseman Alyssa Washington tries to scoop the ball to first and it goes over Katie Stewart’s head. — Thomas Jones
How will Texas coach Mike White handle Mac Morgan, who’s thrown well? We have our answer. White brings in Estelle Czech, who threw six innings against Oklahoma earlier this season and didn’t allow a run while giving up three total hits and no walks. It looks like White wants Morgan ready for tomorrow. This is Czech’s first WCWS appearance this year although she did throw here in 2022. — Thomas Jones
This game is all about poor plate discipline by Texas batters. They aren’t swinging at good pitches. OU’s Kelly Maxwell has walked four batters, but only one has even reached second base where she was stranded.. — Kirk Bohls
Mac Morgan has come in and settled things down in the circle for Texas. She got the first two strikeout for the Longhorns of the game while retiring the side. Texas coach Mike White told the Statesman’s Kirk Bohls that Teagan Kavan and Morgan would be his starters this series; let’s see how he handles Morgan the rest of the game considering she’s a strong possibility to start tomorrow.. — Thomas Jones
Going to be a tall mountain to climb against OU ace Kelly Maxwell. The Sooners have a ton of momentum, and these grandstands are jacked up. And Maxwell sets down Texas slugger Reese Atwood on a comebacker to strand two baserunners. Vivi Martinez and Atwood are a combined 2-for-19 in the WCWS. .Got to get your big guns to produce if you’re going to win at this level.. — Kirk Bohls
Texas hasn’t scored more than two runs in four previous meetings with Oklahoma this season, but the Longhorns’ need to generate something big if they don’t want to fall in a 1-0 hole in this best-of-three series. — Thomas Jones
I kind of thought Mike White would go with Citlaly Gutierrez, who has pitched well against OU this season but hasn’t seen the mound here yet. Mac Morgan has to try to hold OU at bay, which will be a tall task. — Kirk Bohls
This OU lineup is just loaded with veterans who can rake. Senior Kinzie Hansen swats a 2-run homer and senior Alyssa Brito follows with a solo homer. The Sooners flexed their power against Texas starter Teagan Kavan, who exits the game after giving up five hits and five runs, all earned. Mac Morgan is now in the game for the Longhorns. – Thomas Jones
More: Destiny just may be on Texas’ side, but so is an awfully deep softball roster | Bohls
OU starter Kelly Maxwell not near as sharp as yesterday’s semifinals game against Florida but has retired four straight batters. Her velocity is down. But Kayden Henry helped her by swinging at a pitch in the dirt for the third out. – Kirk Bohls
Big moment for Texas’ Teagan Kavan. She walked back-to-back batters with two outs, and threw a wild pitch but got shortstop Tiare Jennings – who had a home run in the first inning – to pop up for the third out. – Thomas Jones
It’s certainly not a pitcher’s duel early. Texas’ Teagan Kavan had her streak of 14 scoreless innings (second in WCWS history for Texas, by the way, behind Cat Osterman’s 17 1/3 in 2003) snapped, and OU’s Kelly Maxwell doesn’t look like she has the same velocity that she’s had in previous games. But that’s not surprising, considering her heavy workload at this WCWS – Thomas Jones
More: Texas pitching on historic pace as Women’s College World Series finals begin
Texas has its share of power, too, as third baseman Mia Scott just showed. The three-time All-Big 12 player bangs a homer just over the right-field wall, and Texas bounces back a bit. Some early fireworks on a sunny day in OKC. – Thomas Jones
Mike White has acknowledged that OU has more power than Texas and the Sooners showed it with a two-run homer in the first from Jennings. OU ranks third in the nation with 119 homers — 1.84 per game — better than all but Miami of Ohio and Virginia Tech. –– Kirk Bohls
Oklahoma doesn’t take long to show off its power. Tiare Jennings crushes a ball into centerfield for a 2-run homer, and the Texas’ streak of 14 innings pitched without giving up a run at the WCWS is over. Let’s see how freshman Teagan Kavan responds to sudden adversity. – Thomas Jones
Texas smartly going with freshman ace Teagan Kavan, and OU going with ace Kelly Maxwell. As it should be. And Mike White moving freshman Kayden Henry down to eighth in the order. Maybe doing so to start a rally down there. There’s a strong section of UT fans down the third base line and some in the outfield bleachers. –– Kirk Bohls
No pitcher at the Women’s College World Series is hotter than Texas freshman Teagan Kavan, and Longhorns’ coach Mike White hope she stays scorching in the championship series opener. Kavan leads Texas in appearances (30), innings (128.1), wins (20) and strikeouts (135) for the season with a 1.96 ERA, and she’s been outright dominant in two WCWS appearances. Kavan has thrown two complete-game shutouts in the two wins over Stanford while outdueling Stanford All-American NiJaree Canady. Oklahoma will counter with Kelly Maxwell even though she threw eight innings and a season-high 148 pitches Tuesday in the 6-5, extra-inning win over Florida. Maxwell, the Oklahoma State transfer, is 22-2 with a 2.00 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 147 innings. – Thomas Jones
Will Kelly Maxwell start after grueling game vs. Florida?
Even though OU ace Kelly Maxwell threw a season-high 148 pitches against Florida, coach Patty Gasso might choose to pitch her anyway. She’s a left-hander and seven of Texas nine regular starters hit substantially worse against lefties. Katie Stewart hits 101 points worse against southpaws, and Reese Atwood’s average drops 89 points. Alyssa Washington hits 128 points better against lefties, and Kayden Henry’s average is a plus-88 points higher vs. lefties. – Kirk Bohls
What channel is Texas softball vs Oklahoma today?
Texas vs. Oklahoma is scheduled to take place on ESPN. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a cable login), ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
This is Game 1 of the best-of-three Women’s College World Series championship series. Game 2 and, if it’s needed, Game 3 will likewise take place on ESPN, keeping the same streaming options.
Texas softball vs Oklahoma start time
- Date: Wednesday, June 5
- Time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
First pitch for Texas softball’s Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series championship is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT.
Game 2 is at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Game 3, if needed, would be at 7 p.m. Friday.
Texas softball schedule 2024
Below is Texas softball’s postseason schedule. For the Longhorns’ full 2024 college softball schedule, click here.
Austin Regional
- Friday, May 17: Texas 5, Siena 0
- Saturday, May 18: Texas 14, Northwestern 2 (five innings)
- Sunday, May 19: Texas 7, Northwestern 0
Austin Super Regional
- Friday, May 24: Texas A&M 6, Texas 5
- Saturday, May 25: Texas 9, Texas A&M 8
- Sunday, May 26: Texas 6, Texas A&M 5
Women’s College World Series:
- Thursday, May 30: Texas 4, Stanford 0
- Saturday, June 1: Texas 10, Florida 0 (five innings)
- Monday, June 3: Texas 1, Stanford 0
- Wednesday, June 5: vs. Oklahoma (WCWS final, Game 1)
- Thursday, June 6: vs. Oklahoma (WCWS final, Game 2)
- Friday, June 7*: vs. Oklahoma (WCWS final, Game 3)
* If necessary
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
