Alo homers, Oklahoma beats Texas to reach WCWS semifinals

OKLAHOMA CITY - Jocelyn Alo homered and knocked in three runs to help No. 1 seed Oklahoma beat Big 12 rival Texas 7-2 on Saturday at the Women's College World Series.

Alo set the tone with her two-run blast as the second batter of the game. The two-time reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year increased her Division I career-record home run total to 118.

Tiare Jennings also hit a homer for the Sooners (56-2), who advanced to the semifinals Monday and moved one step closer to defending their national title.

Hope Trautwein (20-1) went the distance for the Sooners to claim the win.

Janae Jefferson hit a solo homer in the seventh for Texas (44-20-1). Longhorns starter Hailey Dolcini (23-11), who gave the Sooners one of their losses this season, went 4 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on six hits.

Texas will play Arizona in an elimination game Sunday.

Alo's blast in the top of the first was her 30th homer of the season.

Texas responded in the first when Alyssa Washington’s double scored Mia Scott.

Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman doubled in the fifth to score Rylie Boone and put the Sooners up 3-1. Alo then singled to knock in Coleman and chase Dolcini.

Texas freshman Sophia Simpson entered the game, and Jennings tagged her second pitch so hard that it nearly cleared the left field seats. The two-run blast — Jennings' 26th of the season — bumped Oklahoma's lead to 6-1.

More from the Associated Press.