"Damn that was catchable": Fans disheartened by Florida Gators' missed catch as Oklahoma advances to WCWS finals to play against Texas
The Oklahoma Sooners are going to the Women's College World Series (WCWS) finals for the fourth year in a row, after beating the Florida Gators, 6-5. They will take on the Texas Longhorns for the chance to complete a four-peat. The game ended on a walk-off solo homer by the Norman school.
The moment came in the extra innings when three-time First Team All-American Jayda Coleman got the ball barely over the glove of Gators left fielder Korbe Otis in the bottom of the eight.
One fan just knew Coleman would come through for the Boomer Sooners:
"WHO ELSE. JAYDA COLEMAN IS HER!!!"
Some fans don't want to see Oklahoma get a four-peat:
"Anyone who isn’t a direct Sooner fan is now a Longhorns fan - America is rooting for you, Texas!"
Another fan thought that was a poor effort by the Gators' left fielder:
"Damn that was catchable."
In general, fans thought the Gators could've done better during the game:
Jayda Coleman on her walk-off solo homer and taking Oklahoma to WCWS final
With the 6-5 victory over the Gators, Oklahoma advanced for the chance to win an impressive four consecutive national title. Coleman hadn't had the best WCWS series of her life, and she opened up about it after the game:
"I had been a little frustrated, obviously, I just want to do anything to help my team. … Going around the bases, I lost it, just started crying," she said.
Jayda Coleman had so far batted for a poor .200. That won't be important now, as she will be remembered for carrying her school into the finals once again. It was also an important milestone for Coleman, who passed Jocelyn Alo on the school's all-time run list.
Pitcher Kelly Maxwell was awarded her 22nd victory of the year, allowing four hits and striking out eight batters. For all the talk of Florida forcing Keagan Rothrock to go to distance throwing 154 pitches, Kelly Maxwell did go to distance throwing 148 pitches in eight innings.
She said after the game:
"I knew today was going to be tough, I knew coming out the gate. I didn't kind of have my best stuff. I knew I was going to make an adjustment [in the] middle of the game. I flipped a switch, chose my fighter and went to war."
The No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners will now clash with No. 1 Texas in a best-of-three finals series that starts on Wednesday at Devon Park.