Boomer!

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Sooners softball team lost just four times in 2021.

OU's first loss came on April 20 against Georgia; they responded the next day with a 12-3 run-rule win. On May 7, Oklahoma State picked up a big win over its Bedlam rival. But the Sooners responded with victories in the next two games and won the series.

James Madison shocked the Sooners and won the first game of the Women's College World Series on June 3. OU later defeated the Dukes twice to earn a berth in the championship series against Florida State.

On Thursday, June 10, the Sooners captured their fifth national title in program history by continuing that trend — bouncing back from a loss with decisive victories to cement the team's legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

OU beat FSU 5-1 on Thursday and won the championship after dropping Tuesday's first game of the best-of-three championship series. Giselle Juarez got the win in game three with a masterful complete-game performance that would have been a shutout if not for an infield popup that Tiare Jennings lost briefly in the sun, allowing Kalei Harding to reach home in the third inning for FSU's only run of the day.

Oklahoma was up 2-1 after that mishap, having plated one run in the first and another in the second, both solo homers. But the Sooners put up three runs in the bottom of the third, rendering the last few innings largely undramatic as Juarez shut down the Seminoles from the pitcher's circle.

Juarez finished the game with seven strikeouts and, after the final out, was named the World Series' Most Outstanding Player for her excellent pitching throughout the tournament. National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo, Mackenzie Donihoo, Kinzie Hansen, Nicole Mendes and Jennings were also named to the all-tournament team.

Their World Series offense continued the Sooners' historic and dominant year at the plate. OU set a new record for home runs hit by a team in a single season at 161; it also set the record for runs scored in a single season.

Oklahoma outscored its opponents 638-117 over the course of the season.

The Sooners had forced Thursday's winner-take-all game after bouncing back with a 6-2, come-from-behind victory on Wednesday.

The championship was the fifth overall and first since 2017 for OU and its legendary coach Patty Gasso. And Oklahoma will be returning the majority of its roster next season, including Alo and Jennings, the national Freshman of the Year.

As usual, the World Series was played just a short drive up I-35 in Oklahoma City's Hall of Fame Stadium. Sooners fans showed out in force throughout the tournament, including many former OU softball players, who donned shirts reading "In Patty We Trust" and embraced Gasso after the championship win when she visited them in the crowd.

The Sooners celebrated the championship with fans at Marita Hynes Field in Norman with a ceremony on Saturday, June 12.