2024 WCWS: Highlights as Oklahoma Sooners win historic fourth consecutive championship

The 2024 Women's College World Series Game 2 was a testament to the unwavering spirit of both the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners. In a game that did not disappoint, the Sooners etched their name in history by securing their fourth consecutive national championship after a grueling battle against the Longhorns.

Game 2 was a thrilling back-and-forth battle, with each team answering the other's moves. However, in a pivotal moment in the fourth inning, the Oklahoma Sooners loaded the bases and Cydney Sanders' powerful hit brought all the runners home, giving the Sooners a significant 5-3 lead.

Texas continued to struggle with Oklahoma's pitcher rotation. Despite this, the Longhorns showed great determination and fought back, narrowing the game to a one-run difference in the 6th inning. However, the Longhorns' efforts fell short, as Oklahoma took the lead 8-4 in the bottom of the 6th.

Here are the must-see moments in Game 2 of the Women's College World Series that ultimately saw the Oklahoma Sooners emerge victorious with a fourth national title in a row.

2024 WCWS: Highlights, results as Oklahoma offense powers Sooners past Texas in Game 1

Oklahoma wins the 2024 Women's College World Series

The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Texas Longhorns in Game 2 of the Women's College World Series with a score of 8-4, securing their fourth consecutive national championship title and eighth overall.

2024 WCWS Game 2 highlights

Oklahoma responded in the 6th

Oklahoma once again demonstrates their dominance as they load the bases in the bottom of the 6th inning. Jayda Coleman's single to right field brings Rylie Boone home, and then Ella Parker hits a two-run double to center, bringing Sanders and Hodge home and extending the Sooners' lead to 8-4 over the Longhorns.

The Longhorns are up to bat for the last attempt to stay alive in this game.

Texas scores in 6th inning

The Texas Longhorns reached scoring position as Ashton Maloney hit the ball into the right-center gap, advancing to second base and advancing Mitchell to third.

Oklahoma pitcher Kelly Maxwell replaces Nicole May in the 4th inning, and Mia Scott's base running error gave the Sooners the third out but not before Mitchell found home plate. Oklahoma leading Texas 5-4 with the Sooners up to bat in the bottom of the 6th.

Texas stops Oklahoma's momentum

Citlaly Gutierrez stops Oklahoma's momentum with a quick inning. Texas is up to bat at the top of the 5th, with Oklahoma leading Texas 5-3.

May's 1,2,3 inning

The senior Nicole May took the mound in the 4th inning and retired the Longhorns' three batters in order. Oklahoma leads 5-3 against Texas and the Sooners are up to bat in the bottom of the 4th.

Oklahoma scores in the 4th

Oklahoma wastes no time, loading the bases. Cydney Sanders hits to center, bringing Hansen, Pickering, and Boone home. Oklahoma leads 5-3 against Texas.

Texas takes the lead in the 4th

Kayden Henry singled to left, stole to third base and Mia Scott hit a ball past second to bring Henry home, putting the Longhorns in the lead. The score is now Texas 3-2 Oklahoma. Oklahoma is up to bat in the bottom of the 4th.

Kierston Deal on the mound

Oklahoma has continued to introduced new pitchers against Texas in this Game 2 of the WCWS and now has sophomore Kierston Deal on the mound in the 4th.

Texas holds Oklahoma in the 3rd

Avery Hodge singled to left, stole third, but right fielder Ashton Maloney caught Ella Parker's hard hit to right and that ended the inning. Texas is up to bat in the top of the 4th.

Monticelli gets it done in the 3rd

Payton Monticelli takes over the mound with the bases loaded but gets the job done with a pitch to Joley Mitchell, who grounds out at first. Oklahoma is up to bat in the bottom of the 3rd.

Texas answered back

Vivi Martinez reached base after hitting a shallow ball to center field, and Reese Atwood's single to center field advanced her to third base. The Longhorns loaded the bases after Keeny walked Katie Steward, and Alyssa Washington's base hit tied the game. The score is now Oklahoma 2-2 Texas.

Oklahoma does a pitching change and Paytn Monticelli is now on the mound.

Oklahoma grabs the lead in the 3rd

Alyssa Britto hit a hard ball to the center-field wall, advancing to second base, then quickly made it to third after Kinzie Hansen's base hit. Kasidi Pickering homered to left, putting Oklahoma on the scoreboard. The score is now Oklahoma 2-1 Texas.

Texas scores in the 2nd

The Texas Longhorns took the lead as Kayden Henry singled to right center, allowing Reese Atwood to score. Texas up 1-0 against the Sooners. Oklahoma up to bat in the bottom of 2nd.

Oklahoma scoreless in the 1st

Mac Morgan took the mound for the Texas Longhorns, and the Texas defense supported her with Viviana Martinez completing a double play from a grounded ball hit by Ella Parker to end the 1st inning. Texas is up to bat in the top of the 2nd.

Texas scoreless in the 1st

Karlie Keeney took to the mound to start for the Oklahoma Sooners against the formidable Texas Longhorns, the best-hitting team in softball. Despite getting solid hits, the Longhorns were unable to capitalize on any opportunities. The Sooners are up to bat in the bottom of the 1st.

Oklahoma Sooners Game 2 starting lineup

Oklahoma vs. Texas: Game 2 TV, Streaming and how to watch

• Date: Thursday, June 6, 2024

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Devon Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• TV: ESPN

• Streaming: ESPN+, fuboTV

How to watch: Catch the WCWS with an ESPN+ subscription

Women's College World Series tickets: Prices for college softball tournament

Tickets for Game 2 of the Women's College World Series final are available through AXS. Just before the game on Thursday, ticket prices range from $86 to $1,087 per person.

College softball tournament bracket: Road to WCWS

Bracket according to NCAA.

May 30:

• Game 1: (6) UCLA 4, (14) Alabama 1

• Game 2: (2) Oklahoma 9, (10) Duke 1

• Game 3:(1) Texas 4, (8) Stanford 0

• Game 4: (4) Florida 1, (5) Oklahoma State 0

May 31 - Loser's bracket (elimination games)

• Game 5: Alabama 2, Duke 1

• Game 6: Stanford 8, Oklahoma State 0

June 1 - Winner's bracket

• Game 7:Oklahoma 1, UCLA 0

• Game 8: Texas 10, Florida 0

June 2

• Game 9: Florida 6, Alabama 4

• Game 10: Stanford 3, UCLA 1

June 3

• Game 11: Florida 9, Oklahoma 3

• Game 13:Texas 1, Stanford 0

June 4

• Game 12: Oklahoma 6, Florida 5

Oklahoma vs. Texas: Odds, spread and lines for Women's College World Series

The Oklahoma Sooners are favored to win the Women's College World Series, according to the FanDuel odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering 2024 sports betting promos.

Odds listed as of Thursday.

• Moneyline: Oklahoma Sooners (-164); Texas Longhorns (+128)

Texas vs. Oklahoma: Predictions for Game 2

TheOklahoman: Oklahoma 7, Texas 2

Jeff Patterson writes: "It just feels like the greatest senior class in college softball history is destined to leave OU as the first group to win four consecutive NCAA titles in the sport, right? On the ropes against Florida, the Sooners chipped away until senior Jayda Coleman blasted an opposite-field home run to win it. Facing the Longhorns in Game 1 of the WCWS finals, senior Tiare Jennings set the tone with a two-run homer in the first inning. Texas emptied the bullpen Wednesday night and it didn't seem like there was an answer. Texas is a really good team, no doubt. But you have to wonder if the Sooners are in the Longhorns' heads, given some of the mental errors from Game 1. It just feels like a sweep."

Sportskeeda: Oklahoma Sooners

Staff writes: "The Oklahoma Sooners seem to have the answer to stop the Texas Longhorns. Following their Game 1 victory, Oklahoma improved to an unbelievable 32-3 in 35 games against the Longhorns. Its offense also showed the ability to dominate, scoring five runs in the first three innings. However, they are not going to just stop, as they score a run in each of the final three innings to add some insurance."

Texas vs. Oklahoma: Remaining series schedule

Friday, June 7:

Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. ET on ESPN or stream on ESPN+

Oklahoma vs. Texas rivalry: History and results

Since 2005, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns have faced each other 56 times. The Sooners have emerged victorious in 43 of these meetings, while Texas has won 13.

Their most recent matchup was on May 11, when the Sooners defeated the Longhorns 5-1. Before that, the Longhorns won the other two matchups of 2024 with a score of 2-1, which were in Austin, Texas.

Road to the 2024 WCWS finals: Oklahoma vs. Texas

May 30:

Oklahoma 9-1 Duke: The Oklahoma Sooners eased to an opening round win, defeating Duke 9-1 in six innings.

Texas 4-0 Stanford: The Texas Longhorns were too much for the Stanford Cardinals in the first game, defeating Stanford 4-0 in their first game at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

June 1:

Oklahoma 1-0 UCLA: The Oklahoma Sooners battled it against the UCLA Bruins to edge past the Bruins 1-0.

Texas 10-0 Florida: The Texas Longhorns dominated the Florida Gators to move on in the Women's College World Series.

June 3:

Texas 1-0 Stanford: The lone run by freshman Teegan Kavan punched the Texas Longhorns ticket to the 2024 Women's College World Series finals.

Florida 9-3 Oklahoma: The Florida Gators were too much for the Oklahoma Sooners and forced a second game to determine who will advance to the 2024 Women's College World Series final and face the Texas Longhorns.

June 4:

Oklahoma 6-5 Florida: It was ultimately the defending champions, the Oklahoma Sooners, with a run-off home run to earn the bid to the 2024 WCWS and face a familiar foe, the Texas Longhorns.

Oklahoma offense: Sooners’ leading hitters

Oklahoma Sooners leading hitters in 2024:

According to ESPN:

• Brito: .491 OBP, .810 SLG, 18 HR, 60 RBI

• Jennings: .470 OBP, .831 SLG, 24 HR, 64 RBI

• Parker: .517 OBP, .713 SLG, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 17 SB

• Coleman: .491 OBP, .810 SLG, 18 HR, 60 RBI

• Pickering: .511 OBP, .669 SLG, 10 HR, 45 RBI

• Hanson: .470 OBP, .664 SLG, 10 HR, 39 RBI

• Sanders: .461 OBP, .635 SLG, 14 HR, 43 RBI

• Torres: .415 OBP, .606 SLG, 9 HR, 35 RBI

• Boone: .451 OBP, .509 SLG, 1 HR, 26 RBI

Texas offense: Longhorns' leading hitters

Texas Longhorns leading hitters in 2024:

According to ESPN:

• Atwood: .502 OBP, .880 SLG, 23 HR, 92 RBI

• Scott: .486 OBP, .698 SLG, 11 HR, 57 RBI

• Stewart: .490 OBP, .691 SLG, 13 HR, 58 RBI

• Mitchell: .483 OBP, .636 SLG, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 11 SB

• Washington: .422 OBP, .634 SLG, 10 HR, 34 RBI

• Martinez: .443 OBP, .607 SLG, 5 HR, 52 RBI

• Dayton: .471 OBP, .566 SLG, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 13 SB

• Henry: .419 OBP, .587 SLG, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 26 SB

• Maloney: .434 OBP, .397 SLG, 21 RBI

2024 WCWS Game 1 pulls big viewers' numbers

The 2024 Women's College World Series Game 1 attracted 1.9 million viewers, as reported by ESPN PR. This game, featuring the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, had the highest viewership since 2021 and was the most-watched WCWS Game 1 ever. Additionally, it was the second most-streamed softball game on ESPN+.

Texas Pitching depth

In Game 1 of the Women's College World Series against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Texas Longhorns demonstrated their pitching depth with Teagan Kavan, Mac Morgan, Estelle Czech, and Citlaly Gutierrez all taking the mound.

Although Gutierrez was the primary pitcher against the Sooners in the regular season, Teagan Kavan started in Game 1. Texas's pitching depth and experience give them an advantage in the WCWS finals Game 2.

Oklahoma Pitching depth

The Oklahoma Sooners have strategically decided to choose right handed pitcher Karlie Keeney to start in Game 2. left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell, who transferred from Oklahoma State, will most likely be on deck for Keeney and taking a well deserved rest. In the Women's College World Series against UCLA, Maxwell showcased her prowess by striking out a season-high of 11 batters to advance.

Before Game 1 against Texas, Maxwell had thrown nearly 150 pitches throughout the tournament and added another 119 against the Longhorns on Wednesday. Strengthening Oklahoma's pitching depth, Nicole May, the team's number three pitcher, boasts a commendable record of 14-3 and has had significant success against Texas, instilling confidence in the team's overall performance.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas vs. Oklahoma highlights: Sooners win historic WCWS championship