Texas coach Mike White explains assistant's outburst following WCWS loss to Oklahoma
After Oklahoma defeated Texas in the Women’s College World Series Thursday night, Longhorns coach Mike White was seen holding back an assistant coach. White explained what happened in his postgame press conference, and there was a reason for it.
Steve Singleton was seen on the ESPN2 broadcast yelling at someone as White held him back. As it turns out, he was upset Mia Scott’s seventh-inning home run ball wasn’t returned. On that play, the ball hit the rail behind the wall and bounced back onto the field. The umpires initially ruled it a double before reviewing it and calling it a home run.
It’s tradition for players’ families to get the ball after each home run. But that wasn’t the case after Scott’s dinger, and Singleton wanted to make sure her family got the ball, according to reporters in the postgame press conference.
“Texas coach Mike White says assistant Steve Singleton was trying to get Mia Scott’s HR ball back, umpire ignored him and eventually ‘rolled the ball forcefully’ at Singleton,” The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber tweeted. “That led to the moment after the game that was on the broadcast.
Scott’s home run made it a 10-5 Oklahoma lead as Texas tried to come back and force a winner-take-all Game 3. But ultimately, the Sooners got the final out, sealing their second straight WCWS title and sixth overall under Patty Gasso.
Oklahoma clinches second straight Women’s College World Series title with win over Texas
For the second straight year, Oklahoma softball is leaving Oklahoma City as a winner.
The Sooners defeated Texas 10-5 in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series championship series Thursday night, repeating as WCWS champions. It’s the sixth title for Oklahoma under head coach Patty Gasso and marks the second time the Sooners have repeated after doing so in 2016 and 2017.
Texas was in the driver’s seat early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Longhorns held that lead until the fourth when they gave up two unearned runs to tie things up at 2-2. Then, Oklahoma did Oklahoma things in the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 6-2 lead — including a three-run home run from Kinzie Hansen. The potent offense stayed on display in the sixth when the Sooners made it a 10-2 lead thanks to another four-run inning, capped by a three-run blast from Grace Lyons.
Mia Scott hit a three-run home run in the seventh for Texas, but it wasn’t enough. The Sooners are WCWS champions again.