A fraction of spectators in the stands had already headed for the gates as Oklahoma led Northwestern 13-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Sooners were three outs away from notching their 35th run-rule of the season and coasting to a second round matchup with Texas at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Most fans just assumed redshirt senior Hope Trautwein, who ended the day allowing one hit, one run and a season-high five walks, would quickly record the outs and finish the Wildcats off.
However, Patty Gasso had other plans. As the opening chords of Metallica’s classic song Enter Sandman rang through the speakers at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the remaining Sooner fans in attendance knew what was ahead and jumped to their feet.
Enter Jordy Bahl.
The NFCA Freshman Player of the Year, with a wrap on her right forearm, stood in the circle with one out remaining in the game, for the first time since May 6. The Sooners’ ace missed eight games due to an injury that occurred during warmups ahead of OU’s final regular season game against Oklahoma State.
Bahl, hunched down in her signature stance, stared down the opposing hitter – senior catcher Jordyn Rudd – like a hunter eyeing its prey. She fired her first pitch in nearly a month right down the middle for a strike as the stadium erupted in applause.
“I really wanted her to feel this atmosphere,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “Especially going into Saturday (against Texas) because her stuff is moving, and it’s working.”
Good to have ya back, 𝐉𝐨 ♥️ pic.twitter.com/q4Cm0jffIS
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 2, 2022
Gasso gave the fans what they wanted. A crowd surrounded Oklahoma’s bullpen as Bahl warmed up to enter the game. While there wasn’t a real threat to their lead, Bahl closed out the Sooners’ (55-2) 13-2 win over Northwestern (45-11) in emotional fashion.
ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported Thursday Bahl injured herself fielding a ground ball and throwing it to first base. Before her absence, Bahl had pitched 132.1 innings, struck out 199 batters, and allowed 63 hits, and 23 runs. The way she held her right arm, it seemed as if the right-hander was trying not to brush it against her body as much as possible.
Bahl looked a little rusty to start, not rare for someone who missed as much time as she has, as she allowed two hits and threw 11 pitches to record just one out. Gasso will get flak for putting her best pitcher in with a 12 run lead and one out remaining in the contest, however, she said she planned to do that all along.
“I knew with two outs we wanted to do it and I hope no one takes offense to that,” Gasso said. “I’m not trying to show off or anything like that. It's really thinking ahead and strategizing as to a young lady who has been dying to get on this mound and struggling through it. To give her that opportunity was gold, and our team responded to it. I wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it. It was purely to say, get a feel of what this feels like so you’ll be ready if and when we go again.”
Bahl’s teammates were ecstatic for her and joined her in the circle for a postgame celebration after she recorded the final out of the game.
At the plate. In the field. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 ✔️@JohnsJana | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/E9z6QLqqtF
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 2, 2022
“It's huge,” Trautwein, who handed the ball to Bahl in the fifth, said about what it meant to have her back. “And Jordy works her butt off, and this setback is not really a setback for her. And for her to come into this game and close it out, it was huge for our team and for the big first win (of the World Series).”
Alongside Trautwein and Bahl, OU’s bats were alive and well. The Sooners recorded 11 hits, two home runs, both of which were grand slams by sophomore infielder Tiare Jennings and redshirt senior infielder Jana Johns. Redshirt senior utility Jocelyn Alo, who was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Tuesday night, finished 1-for-2 at the plate with two walks.
With Bahl back in the fold, the Sooners now have three big-time pitchers to roll out against any opponent at any time. Although the Sooners dominated and are moving on to the second round of the WCWS to play Texas (44-19-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN, Gasso said the biggest victory was seeing Bahl back out in the circle.
“Jordy, I’ll say it again — she’s made differently," Gasso said. "People see that, you see that. That’s why you like the way she moves around the mound the way she does, you like when she hangs her arm out that way. You like her enthusiasm, you like the way she rips her mask off when she gets what she wants. She’s very athletic, and she is extremely focused.
“To see her doing what she’s doing today is the biggest victory that we’ve had thus far this season. I’m done.”
