Northwestern softball gets blown out 13-2 by top seed Oklahoma in its Women’s College World Series opener

OKLAHOMA CITY — Tiare Jennings and Jana Johns hit grand slams, and No. 1 seed Oklahoma rolled past No. 9 seed Northwestern 13-2 in five innings Thursday on the opening day of the Women’s College World Series.

The defending national champion Sooners pounded out 11 hits. Northwestern’s Danielle Williams (31-5) — a first-team NFCA All-America pitcher — lasted just three innings and took the loss.

Oklahoma (55-2) advanced to play rival Texas on Saturday in the schools’ first World Series meeting. Texas is responsible for one of Oklahoma’s losses this season, though the Sooners won two of three meetings.

Northwestern (45-12) will play UCLA in an elimination game Friday.

Northwestern’s Rachel Lewis opened the scoring with a solo blast over the left-field fence in the third inning. It was her 23rd homer of the season.

That was the only hit Oklahoma starter Hope Trautwein (19-1) allowed. She struck out seven and walked five in 4⅔ innings to claim the win.

Oklahoma took over in the bottom of the third. The Sooners tied it on an RBI single by Johns that scored Rylie Boone. Williams walked Jocelyn Alo — the two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year — to bring up Jennings with the bases loaded.

Jennings, also a first-team All-American, put Williams’ first pitch over the fence in center to give the Sooners a 5-1 lead and control for good. It was Jennings’ 25th home run of the season.

Johns’ grand slam in the fourth put the Sooners up 13-1.

At OGE Energy Field, Oklahoma City

Double elimination; x-if necessary

Thursday

• Game 1: Texas 7, UCLA 2
• Game 2: Oklahoma 13, Northwestern 2
• Game 3: Florida vs. Oregon State, 6 p.m., ESPN
• Game 4: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday

• Game 5: UCLA vs. Northwestern, 6 p.m., ESPN2
• Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday

• Game 7: Texas vs. Oklahoma, 2 p.m., ABC-7
• Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m., ESPN

Sunday

• Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 2 p.m., ABC-7
• Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Monday

• Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 11 a.m., ESPN
• x-Game 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1:30 p.m., ESPN
• Game 13: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m., ESPN
• x-Game 14: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Championship series

Best-of-three, June 8-10