Oklahoma shuts out Florida State in opener of Women's College World Series final

Not even a lightning delay could stop the inevitable on Wednesday night at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.

In a 5-0 shutout of Florida State, the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners softball team ran its NCAA-record win streak to 52 games and moved within one game of its third consecutive national championship.

After a first-inning weather delay of 43 minutes, Oklahoma had little trouble in the opening game of the best-of-three Women’s College World Series final. Pitcher Jordy Bahl tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out 10 batters across her seven innings as the Sooners gave themselves the chance to win a seventh NCAA title on Thursday night.

Bahl, a sophomore from Papillion, Neb., has allowed one earned run in 35 innings in the NCAA tournament. She has struck out 46 hitters and issued four walks in that span.

But it wasn’t only Bahl getting things done for Oklahoma on Wednesday.

The Sooners’ potent offense broke through in the fourth inning, as a Kinzie Hansen double put them on the board -- scoring none other than Bahl, who pinch-ran for teammate Haley Lee.

Alyssa Brito drove in Hansen with a single and later scored on an error.

Hansen drove in another run in the fifth with a single, and Tiare Jennings did the same in the sixth. Jennings’ hit gave her the all-time Women’s College World Series lead in RBIs with 29.

Oklahoma nearly won on the eight-run mercy rule in the sixth, but Florida State’s Kaley Mudge kept the ballgame going, robbing Lee of a three-run home run.

It hardly mattered. Bahl struck out the first two batters of the seventh as Oklahoma extended its win streak to 52 games, a Division I softball record. At 60-1, the Sooners’ lone loss came against Baylor back on Feb. 19.

Oklahoma will have its chance at a 53rd straight win -- and a third straight WCWS victory -- at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.