NORMAN, Okla. — Jocelyn Alo’s time at Oklahoma’s Marita Hynes Field ended exactly the same way it began: with a ball going over the wall.
The Hauula native homered in her final NCAA super regional at-at bat on Saturday to bookend the one she hit in her first plate appearance as a freshman in 2018, as the college softball career home run record-holder helped lead her Sooners back to the Women’s College World Series with a 7-1 win over UCF.
The defending national champion Sooners (54-2), the top overall seed, made quick work of the No. 16 Knights (49-14) in the double-elimination matchup as Alo homered against them on consecutive days to raise her season tally to 29.
She batted 3-for-7 with four RBIs and three runs scored in the two super regional games to lower her batting average to .497.
It is the sixth straight and 15th overall WCWS appearance for the powerhouse Sooners. Alo, a Campbell High alumna and the reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, never failed to make it to Oklahoma City in her five-year career, excluding the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season.
She hit a Big 12-record 34 home runs last season en route to the national title.
Alo broke the NCAA career home run record at the University of Hawaii on March 12 with her 96th blast. She is up to 117 as of Saturday.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.