Oklahoma tops James Madison; rematch to decide WCWS finalist

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Tiare Jennings hit a leadoff homer and drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning double, and No. 1 seed Oklahoma avenged a stunning loss to unseeded James Madison, beating the Dukes 6-3 in the Women’s College World Series semifinals on Sunday.

Nicole May threw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for Oklahoma (53-3), which will face James Madison again Sunday night with the winner advancing to face either Florida State or Alabama in the best-of-three championship series.

Sara Jubas hit a three-run homer and Odicci Alexander threw a 118-pitch complete game for James Madison (41-3). Alexander already had complete-game wins over Oklahoma and No. 5 seed Oklahoma State at the World Series.

Jennings’ double in the seventh scored Rylie Boone, who had opened the inning with a perfectly placed bunt single, to make it 4-3. Kinzie Hansen followed with a two-run homer for the Sooners.

JMU trailed 1-0 in the third when Madison Naujokas hit a ball solidly down the left field line that rolled into foul territory and under a fence for a ground-rule double. Logan Newton, who would have scored if the ball remained playable, was held up at third. The Sooners escaped the inning without allowing a run.

Nicole Mendes tripled to drive in Mackenzie Donihoo and make it 3-0 in the third.

Jubas’ two-out blast tied it in the fourth. Jubas also hit a three-run homer off Oklahoma starter Shannon Saile on Thursday.


Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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