Oklahoma beats Florida St. wins third straight Women’s College World Series title, extends record win streak to 53.

Oklahoma softball's historic season ended predictably with a third consecutive NCAA Softball championship, and the Sooners’ diamond dominance shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

At the Women's College World Series, Oklahoma defeated Florida State 3-1 on Thursday night at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City to win the best-of-three finals series. The Sooners' 53-game winning streak, an NCAA record, was increased with the outcome of Game 2.

The UCLA Bruins were the only other team to win three consecutive NCAA Division I softball championships in 1988–1990, along with Oklahoma, which also defeated the Seminoles in the 2021 WCWS final series.

First baseman Mack Leonard's single drive off Alex Storako in the fourth inning gave the Seminoles the lead. This was Leonard's second hit in her previous 30 at-bats.

If Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman hadn't jumped over the centre field wall to steal Kalei Harding's three-run home run in the third inning, Florida State might have already taken the lead.

First baseman Cydney-Sanders, an Arizona State transfer, hit back-to-back home runs for the Sooners in the fifth inning, her fourth home run of the NCAA tournament, and shortstop Grace Lyons added another.

Only the second and third home runs were allowed in the postseason by Florida-State's Kathryn Sandercock.

Alynah-Torres' RBI put Oklahoma up 3-1 in the sixth inning after they added an insurance run.

Pitcher Jordy Bahl took over on the mound for Storako and retired all nine hitters she faced to secure the win.

Oklahoma wins 2023 DI softball national championship, Sooners joins NCAA dynasties.

A fourth consecutive crown would be unprecedented in the sport, at least since the NCAA began administering women’s championships in 1982... A look at some of the biggest dynasties among major sports in Division I college athletics.

∎ No team has won three football national titles in a row since the AP poll was established in 1936. Minnesota does claim national titles between 1934-36. Georgia could win a third in a row this season after back-to-back College Football Playoff victories.

∎ UCLA won seven consecutive men's basketball championships from 1967-73, while Connecticut's women's basketball team won four in a row from 2013-16.

∎ Southern California baseball won five consecutive College World Series between 1970-74.

∎ North Carolina holds the mark with nine consecutive women's soccer championships from 1986-94 as part of Anson Dorrance's 21 overall titles. Virginia's men's program under Bruce Arena were champions from 1991-94.

∎ Maryland captured seven titles in a row in women's lacrosse from 1995-2001. Princeton, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins each have won three consecutive men's lacrosse championships with all of those coming last century.

∎ Iowa's run of nine men's wrestling titles in a row began in 1978. Coach Dan Gable would go on to win 15 championships. Penn State has two runs of four consecutive crowns under current coach Cael Sanderson.

________

Contributing: Ellen J. Horrow