The NCAA is implementing the eight-run rule into the championship series of the Women's College World Series, an NCAA source confirmed with OU Daily.
The eight-run rule allows for games to be concluded after five innings if one team is ahead by eight or more runs. The rule has been in place in previous years for all rounds of the WCWS except the best-of-three championship series.
"It is an update for this year that the rule is in effect for all games," Matt Holmes, assistant director of media coordination and statistics, wrote in an email to OU Daily. "I can’t confirm if this is the first time ever, as I don’t have complete rule information to know if it may have been used at some point in the 40-year history of the tournament."
The Sooners completed a full, seven-inning 16-1 victory over Texas in Game 1 of the 2022 WCWS. In Game 2, OU led 10-2 at the end of the sixth inning, but play continued due to the absence of the rule in the championship series. Texas scored three runs in the seventh, but fell 10-5, handing the Sooners their second consecutive national championship.
OU has run-ruled 27 of its 55 opponents this season, including all three of its Norman Regional opponents.
The Sooners will face Clemson in a three-game series in the Norman Super Regional beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday at Marita Hynes Field.
