OKLAHOMA CITY — The defending champions were teetering, if only for a moment.
On Wednesday night, during the opening game of the best-of-three Women’s College World Series championship set, the Oklahoma bats that had come to signify dominance in college softball, leading the country in batting average, on-base percentage and home runs, fell noticeably silent against Florida State with only one hit and no runs through three innings.
The Sooners’ gloves weren’t working, either. The top fielding team in the country committed its 17th error of the season when third baseman Alyssa Brito was eaten up by a sharp ground ball in the third inning. In the following inning, pitcher Jordy Bahl couldn’t field a harmless tapper back to the mound for the team’s 18th error — her first this season.
But after each miscue, Bahl dug in and delivered, throwing inning-ending strikeouts that culminated with explosive displays of emotion. The fiery Bahl ripped off her face mask each time and screamed. Catcher Kinzie Hansen spiked the ball in celebration.
How’s that for being unapologetically energetic? When designated player Haley Lee led off the fourth inning being hit by…
