The University of Oklahoma softball team had been on a tear unlike any ever seen in Division I women's college sports history. But as the famous saying goes, "all good things must come to an end."
The Sooners lost their first game in over a year Sunday night in a heartbreaking extra-inning defeat against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The loss snapped Oklahoma's NCAA record 71-game win streak that dates back to February 2023 and marked the team's first loss at home in over four years.
The next-longest win streak in NCAA softball history is held by the Arizona Wildcats, who won 47 straight games from 1996-97.
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The Ragin' Cajuns had the Sooners' back against the wall, up 4-2 in the 7th and final inning of the game, until a late rally from Oklahoma tied things up and sent the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Louisiana responded with two big hits off the bats of outfielder Samantha Graeter and catcher Sam Roe that sent the Ragin' Cajuns up by three runs. With their historical streak on the line, a home run from Oklahoma's Cydney Sanders in the bottom of the inning breathed new hope into the Sooners dugout, but ultimately it wasn't enough to avoid a 7-5 defeat.
Oklahoma has been the top-ranked team in the country all season long after winning the national title each of the past three years. Despite the loss setting their record back to 18-1, the Sooners will look to get back in the win category Wednesday when they take on Texas A&M at home.
