June 10 (UPI) -- The Oklahoma Sooners claimed their fifth softball national championship after beating the Florida State Seminoles 5-1 in Game 3 of the Women's College World Series on Thursday.
Giselle Juarez led the Sooners to the title by throwing her second straight complete game, allowing just one run on two hits in the decisive Game 3. The Sooners earned a 6-2 victory in Game 2 behind Juarez.
Juarez, who went 5-0 in the tournament and was named Most Outstanding Player, allowed only four runs over 31 1/3 innings during the tourney.
The Sooners' path to the championship was anything but easy. Oklahoma came out of the losers' bracket after suffering a shocking loss to Odicci Alexander and unseeded James Madison in the tournament's opening game.
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Oklahoma, however, beat James Madison twice in the semifinal round, then bounced back from a loss to Florida State in the opener of the World Series to take the crown.
The Sooners (56-4), who fell to UCLA in the 2019 World Series before the 2020 edition of the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, also captured championships in 2000, 2013, 2016 and 2017 -- all coming under coach Patty Gasso.
Florida State (49-13-1) was attempting to win its second national title in the past three World Series under coach Lonni Alameda. The Seminoles defeated Washington for the 2018 championship.
