Oklahoma softball is in unfamiliar territory after the Sooners had their 20-game postseason winning streak snapped against Florida on Monday afternoon.
The Gators’ 9-3 shellacking of the Sooners forces an if-necessary game—which was pushed to Tuesday due to weather delays on Monday—and that will determine which of the two programs will get to face off against No. 1 Texas in the WCWS Finals.
Suffice it to say, the pressure is on, and both teams will need all hands on deck if they’re going to advance to Wednesday. For Oklahoma, that might not be possible with the status of their starting second baseman up in the air.
Alynah Torres missed Monday’s game after being hit in the face while trying to catch a pop fly in Oklahoma’s 1-0 win over UCLA on Saturday. The scary incident forced Torres out of the game immediately, thrusting sophomore Avery Hodge into the lineup.
Sooners head coach Patty Gasso says that Torres has not been cleared to return to play yet and could be forced to miss more time.
“There’s still some, like, blood in her eye,” Gasso said. “Until that is completely gone, she will not be on the field. That’s where they are right now. So she may or may not. Hopefully, but we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize her either.”
The senior from Glendale, Arizona, is hitting .331 on the season with nine home runs and 36 RBIs. Torres has been pivotal in the Sooners’ lineup, serving as the nine-hole hitter who helps set the table for the top of the order, including Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings.
In her absence, Oklahoma has to turn to Hodge, who is batting just .269 on the season with nine RBIs and eight strikeouts on 67 at-bats.
Getting Torres back would be huge for the Sooners’ offense, but as we approach game time, it appears more likely than not that Oklahoma’s second baseman will continue to be out of commission.
The if-necessary game between Oklahoma and Florida is set for 1:00 p.m. CT on ESPN, with the winner advancing to the WCWS Finals and the loser seeing their season come to an end.
