Naomi has a HR and 4 RBIs, OSU clinches 4th straight WCWS berth
The Associated Press - May 27, 2023 7:11 am
Oklahoma State's Kiley Naomi during an NCAA softball game against Oregon on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Garett Fisbeck)
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Kiley Noami went 3 for 3 with a double, a home run, and four RBIs. Kelly Maxwell retired the first 19 batters she faced in a two-hitter. No. 6 national seed Oklahoma State beat Oregon 9-0 Friday to sweep the best-of-three Stillwater Super Regional and advance to the Women’s College World Series.
Oklahoma State (46-14), which beat the Ducks 8-1 in Game 1, has clinched a berth in its 15th WCWS, including four straight.
Maxwell (16-5) had a perfect game through 6 1/3 innings before Allee Bunker’s single up the middle. Terra McGowan reached on fielder’s choice and Ariel Carlson — who made a sliding catch for an out in the third inning — followed with a double down the line before Maxwell got KK Humphreys to fly out and end the game. Maxwell finished with eight strikeouts.
Rachel Becker led off the game with a double and scored when Naomi hit a single to center that made it 1-0. Becker added a two-RBI single — on the eighth pitch of the at-bat — and scored when Naomi hit three-run home run to cap a six-run top of the fifth and make it 7-0.
Naomi doubled to lead off the seventh inning before Katelynn Carwile and Morgyn Wynne each hit an RBI double to cap the scoring.
Oregon (38-16) scored the first run of series but was outscored 17-0 the rest of the way.