Jun. 5—It was a situation Tiare Jennings was just in two innings before.

No. 1-seed Oklahoma showed its first signs of life against Stanford freshman pitcher NiJaree Canady in the seventh when Alynah Torres and Rylie Boone each led off the inning with back-to-back hits. There was only one out, and Jennings swung hard and missed all three pitches she saw.

The Sooners ended up leaving both runners stranded and had to turn back to their defense to hold on for extra innings.

Still a tie game in the top of the ninth inning, Jennings returned to the plate with runners on first and second — this time with two outs on the board. Down to her last strike after fouling off two consecutive pitches, Jennings sent a line drive into the gap in right center field to score both runners.

On her 21st birthday, Jennings delivered her team’s first runs in six innings and helped lift the Sooners to a 4-2 win to advance to the Women’s College World Series Final.

“I shortened up my swing. I knew I had two strikes so I was going to battle. But I was going to keep swinging and just do whatever I can to help the team,” Jennings said.

Sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl came in for starter Nicole May in the sixth inning and had to battle through some tough spots to secure the win. Stanford hit two singles to start the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Sooners’ defense didn’t let them move any further.

Bahl forced Kylie Chung, who had already hit a two-run home run earlier in the game into hitting a soft line drive to OU shortstop Grace Lyons. She went on to strike out Emily Schultz to keep the game tied heading into the seventh inning.

Once again, Stanford landed a base-hit to put pressure on the Sooners’ defense, but Bahl struck out the next batter she faced and forced extra innings after catching a bunt that bounced right back at her.

“Really for me it’s just be present, stay simple,” Bahl said. “The second I try to do too much with any one of my pitches, I start overthrowing. And then things really go downhill from there.”

Bahl struck out six batters with no walks and allowed four hits, but no runs.

Oklahoma advances to its fourth straight WCWS Final against either Florida State or Tennessee. Game 1 of the three-game series will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The Sooners trailed for the first time at this World Series following Chung’s home run in the bottom of the first inning. They answered by loading the bases up on their next turn atbat with two walks and a single.

Torres drove in one run on a sacrifice fly ball to right field, but they still trailed 2-1 by the end of the inning. Just two pitches into the third, Jayda Coleman hit her 17th home run of the season on a solo shot into center field.

“I think sometimes — we win a lot, and that’s fabulous. But sometimes I think we’re so used to taking it for granted, and this means a lot,” OU head coach Patty Gasso said. “This means a lot. To get to the championship game means a lot.”

Stanford starting pitcher Alana Vawter was replaced after the Sooners led off the fifth inning with a single from Boone. Canady took over from there and looked as dominant as she did during her first meeting with the Sooners.

Canady allowed four hits and two earned runs with two of those hits coming in the decisive ninth inning. The Cardinal pitching staff combined to strike the Sooners out eight times with three walks.

Kinzie Hansen and Boone were the only Sooners to come away with multiple hits in the game, and one of Boone’s hits came on a bunt-single that sailed over the third baseman’s head. The Sooners had eight hits with four of those coming on extra-base hits.

“It was so cool to see different people step up in different ways, and that all led into just how it ended,” Lyons said. “The entire game, top to bottom, offense, defense, we all got each other’s backs, and it was a complete game.”

Stanford also came away with eight hits but was one of seven at the plate with runners in scoring position. Five of the Cardinal’s hits came from Taylor Gindlesperger and Emily Young.