Oklahoma softball’s 71-game profitable streak was snapped Sunday because the Sooners fell 7-5 in additional innings to UL Lafayette in Norman, Okla. Oklahoma hadn’t beforehand misplaced a recreation since Feb. 19, 2023.
After the rating was tied up at 4 runs apiece following the seventh inning, Louisiana pulled forward with a three-run high of the eighth due to RBI singles from Samantha Graeter and Sam Roe. The go-ahead run got here on a bases-loaded single by Graeter that careened off the glove of Oklahoma shortstop Tiare Jennings.
👏 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝙄𝙉 𝙁𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙏
🔼 8
Louisiana 5, No. 1 Oklahoma 4📺 (ESPN+) https://t.co/o9n6vIVk4W
🎧 (103.3 FM/1420 AM) https://t.co/MZn6E2tWpj
📊 https://t.co/tAtpHENPDm#GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/S4RZkAVNpM— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Softball (@RaginCajunsSB) March 3, 2024
Whereas Oklahoma managed to get one run again with a Cydney Sanders residence run within the backside of the inning, Louisiana star pitcher Chloe Riassetto pressured Jayda Coleman to fly out, ending the sport and snapping the streak with Oklahoma’s Alynah Torres stranded at first.
A lot has been stated about coach Patty Gasso’s dynastic run at Oklahoma, and all the accolades are well-deserved as a result of it’s extraordinarily tough to remain atop any sport for thus lengthy. It’s near-impossible to do it with out dropping in any respect. So, there’s no disgrace in dropping for these Sooners — in actual fact, it seemingly alleviates among the stress these gamers have felt almost daily for greater than a yr to keep away from a slip-up. It’s laborious to chase historical past and to set the usual for a whole sport. Now, Oklahoma can return to easily attempting to win its fourth consecutive nationwide title. No biggie.
Riassetto pitched all eight innings for Louisiana in a profession efficiency, ending with three strikeouts throughout 136 complete pitches.
The spotlight of the sport for the Ragin’ Cajuns might have come within the backside of the fourth inning, when left fielder Maddie Hayden made a spectacular leaping catch to remove an extra-base hit because the Sooners have been trying to claw again into the sport, having already scored two runs off a house run earlier within the inning.
The Sooners broke the NCAA file for consecutive wins in 2023 en path to their title final season. Oklahoma got here again from a one-run deficit with back-to-back solo residence runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons to beat Florida State 3-1 and sweep the best-of-three championship sequence.
Earlier than Oklahoma, Arizona owned the longest profitable streak in NCAA softball historical past, compiling 47 straight wins from 1996 to 1997. In recent times, Oklahoma put collectively a 41-game profitable streak in 2019, a 40-game profitable streak from 2020 to 2021 and one other 40-game profitable streak from 2021 to 2022.
With the loss, the No. 1 Sooners fall to 18-1 whereas Louisiana improves to 11-12.
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(Photograph: Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman / USA At present Community)
