Maxwell pitched all seven innings for Oklahoma, striking out eight batters and allowing one earned run
Oklahoma is seeking to become the first softball program to win four consecutive NCAA titles
Oklahoma Sooners took a 1-0 lead over Texas Longhorns in the Women's College World Series Championship Series
Texas' Teagan Kavan gave up five earned runs and three homers in 2.1 innings in her WCWS finals debut
Tiare Jennings hit a home run in the first inning for Oklahoma, Kenzie Hansen and Kasadi Pickering followed with two-run homers each
In the 2024 Women's College World Series Championship Series, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns faced off in a highly anticipated best-of-three series. The Sooners, making their fifth straight and ninth overall appearance in the WCWS Championship Series, were seeking to become the first softball program to win four consecutive NCAA titles. They had previously defeated Texas six times in NCAA tournament games, outscoring them 55-14.
In Game 1, Oklahoma opened with a strong performance. The Sooners scored two runs in the first inning on a home run by Tiare Jennings off Teagan Kavan. In the second inning, Kenzie Hansen hit a two-run homer to increase their lead to 4-0. Kasadi Pickering followed with another homer for back-to-back long balls, making it 5-0.
Maxwell pitched all seven innings for Oklahoma and struck out eight batters while allowing only one earned run. Kavan gave up five earned runs and three homers in just 2.1 innings for Texas in her WCWS finals debut.
Despite their strong start, the Sooners were not taking anything for granted. Patty Gasso, Oklahoma's head coach, expressed her urgency to help the team win a fourth straight title as it could be Maxwell's last opportunity to do so.
Texas was determined to shift momentum and win the next two games. Joley Mitchell believed they could do just that. The Longhorns had previously defeated Florida in the semifinals, and Texas A&M awaited them in Game 2 of the Championship Series.
The stage was set for an exciting finish to the Women's College World Series.