Oklahoma tops Texas in Game 1 of Women's College World Series - ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — No. 2 Oklahoma's role as an «underdog» — as coach Patty Gasso called the Sooners on Tuesday — didn't last long.

In Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series, OU resumed its role as Texas' foil, pummeling the Longhorns 8-3 while launching three home runs as starter Kelly Maxwell held the No. 1 Longhorns' bats in check.

Maxwell, an offseason transfer from Oklahoma State who crossed the rivalry lines to join the Sooners, was making her first WCWS finals appearance. Despite throwing 148 pitches Tuesday to help the Sooners survive an elimination game against Florida, Maxwell went all seven innings, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run on 119 pitches.

«Kelly was masterful all game,» Gasso said. «Her dream has been — she's never been this far, and when now you're in the championship series, adrenaline took over for her. But she's not going to walk away from this opportunity. I asked her if she wanted the ball. She looked at me like, 'Duh.' I'm like, OK, we're good.»

On the Texas side, Teagan Kavan's storybook run at the WCWS ended as the freshman, who had thrown two one-hit shutouts against Stanford, led off the game by hitting Jayda Coleman with a pitch, then gave up a homer to Oklahoma star Tiare Jennings, who hit her 11th career WCWS homer, one shy of the all-time record.

Kavan got the loss after giving up five earned runs and three homers in 2⅓ innings against the Sooners.

«We have to come out and control the game a little bit better in the first inning. A rough start for our freshman,» Texas coach Mike White said of Kavan. «Obviously Teagan was our hot hand. If I hadn't started her, somebody else giving up the runs, I would say why didn't I start Teagan? You ride