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2022 WCWS -- Championship Round Game 1

Game 1 is underway, with Texas the designated visitors... The ESPN networks are presenting a dual broadcast. Conventional coverage is on ESPN. A special episode of 7 Innings Live (7IL) appears on ESPN-U, with live commentators combined on a split-screen with the game...  7IL also bringing in guests via online video, starting with former James Madison pitcher Odicci Alexander, now living in Japan...

TOP 1: OU's Hope Trautwein retires the first two batters, before Bella Dayton doubles and advances to third on a wild pitch... Walk adds a runner on first... Another walk to load bases, with Courtney Day coming up... 3-0 count... Day takes a strike... Next pitch is low, walking in a run, 1-0 Longhorns... Easy fly to left to end threat...

BOTTOM 1: Jayda Coleman leads off with double for Oklahoma, bringing up Jocelyn Alo... Didn't take long for one of Alo's trademark home runs (video), quickly making it 2-1 Sooners... 7IL commentators calling for immediate removal of Hailey Dolcini from Texas pitching circle... Another sharp hit, this time a single... Fly to left, a little short of the warning track, for first out... Grounder to circle, but throw to second botched. OU runners on first and second with one out... Another grounder to pitcher; this time Texas gets force at second, although throw was a little wild. Two outs, runners now on the corners... Another homer,  this time from Taylon Snow (video), and the game is starting to look like an OU scoring blizzard! Texas pitching change... Sophia Simpson starts warming up in the circle, but goes back toward dugout... Apparently, there is blood on her jersey and she needs to put on a new one... Another potential Sooner rally building, with a hit-by-pitch and walk... Another change in the circle -- for the third pitcher of the half-inning -- as Logan Hulon coming in. I don't believe I've seen Hulon pitch this postseason. Longhorns probably saving Estelle Czech for Game 2 tomorrow night... Coleman up for second time in the first inning... Pickoff throw to second gets away, advancing OU runners to second and third... Grounder to short ends the inning, 5-1 Oklahoma...

TOP 2: Texas down quietly...

BOTTOM 2: OU adds another, as Alo doubles and Grace Lyons singles her in... 6-1 Sooners...

TOP 3: One-out double for Horns... Fly to center... A hit-by-pitch and another fly-out end the inning...

BOTTOM 3: With one down, Jana Johns goes deep, 7-1 Sooners...

Nothing the rest of the way changed the dynamic of the game (other than Oklahoma expanding its lead). The final score was 16-1, with the Sooners scoring in all six innings in which they batted (they did not need their at-bats in the bottom of the seventh)... Here's the box score... Longhorns have their work cut out for them, needing to win both of the two (potential) remaining games of the two-out-of-three championship series...


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