Self-imposed wounds proved fatal Thursday night as the Longhorns’ defensive miscues and failure to settle in on offense gifted the nation’s top-ranked Sooners a 3-0 victory. With the win, Oklahoma claims the top spot in the Big 12 outright with a 7-0 record while the Longhorns fall to 6-1 in conference play.
The second-largest crowd in Red & Charline McCombs Field history (1,498) gathered in Austin as the Longhorns hosted the top team in the nation for game one of the three-game Red River series. Chants of “Boomer Sooner” rained down on Texas senior (transfer) Hailey Dolcini as she stepped to the circle looking to quell the notoriously explosive bats of Oklahoma.
The undefeated Sooners entered Thursday’s contest leading the nation in a bevy of offensive categories including home runs (100), runs scored (354), hits (338), and runs batted in (334). The potency of the Oklahoma lineup could not be overstated as six Sooners entered the game with batting averages over the .400 mark on the season, including Jocelyn Alo who owns a remarkable .528 average and the all-time record for NCAA home runs (96).
With one glance of the scouting report, most wrote off Texas long before Hailey Dolcini relinquished the inaugural pitch of the series. That attitude quickly diminished among pundits and fans alike as Dolcini attacked the zone early and often, putting herself ahead in the count against each of the five Sooner bats she faced. Dolcini dazzled in the first frame as 20 of the California native’s 23 pitches tossed were strikes.
The pressure of the contest appeared to rattle nearly every Longhorn behind Dolcini as the Texas defense tallied an irreparable four errors on the night. Freshmen infielders Mia Scott and Katie Cimusz each recorded one fielding error while senior shortstop Alyssa Washington collected two errors.
The Longhorns’ offense was virtually frozen by Oklahoma’s freshman phenom, Jordy Bahl. Mary Iakopo was the first Longhorn to reach the base paths on a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first. Courtney Day recorded the first hit of the evening for Texas on a two-out single in the bottom of the second and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. However, Jordy Bahl enticed a groundout from Bella Dayton for the third and final out of the inning.
The biggest threat from Texas came in the bottom of the sixth when Mia Scott punched a double to the centerfield wall with Janae Jefferson aboard following her leadoff single. Oklahoma’s freshman ace then struck out three consecutive Longhorns to leave Jefferson and Scott stranded. Alyssa Washington was a beacon of hope for Texas as she delivered a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. However, the Horns’ offense proved lifeless once more as Bahl recorded three strikeouts once more to claim the win.
While the loss to Oklahoma stings, Hailey Dolcini deserves to be the storyline of the night as the ace pressured the Sooners into one of their worst offensive showings yet. Dolcini displayed her mental fortitude when she returned to the mound in the second inning, firing each pitch with equal intention and intensity after Oklahoma jumped on the board with an unearned run in the first.
Dolcini’s immeasurable grit propelled her to face 28 Sooner bats while tossing a complete game. The senior cemented her authority by permitting only three hits and two earned runs on 120 pitches. Bear in mind, each toss was delivered to an Oklahoma squad known for outscoring their opponents by an incomparable 354-27 margin this season. OU earned two runs off Dolcini, both on solo moonshots by the Sooners’ Jayda Coleman and Alyssa Brito.
Dolcini earned four strikeouts and issued only one walk throughout her mighty performance. Texas’s best arm decidedly earned that title Thursday against Jocelyn Alo, who you might remember as the all-time NCAA softball home run leader lurking in OU’s lineup. Dolcini bested the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as the Texas workhorse bullied Alo into an 0-for-3 performance, complete with two strikeouts.
The Longhorns look to re-join the Sooners as co-leaders of the Big 12 on Friday night at McCombs Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm CST on the Longhorn Network.
