Sanders hits a crucial home run just when the Sooners need it most.
At Oklahoma home games, the crowd often gasps audibly when Cydney Sanders takes a big swing and misses. When she connects and sends the ball into the outfield, fans expect it to clear the fence for a home run. However, for the past month and a half, outfielders have frequently been in the perfect spot to make a catch.
Sanders hit 10 home runs in the first 24 games of the season, including eight in an eight-game stretch, leading the team with a .395 batting average. Since then, her batting average has fallen to .263, and she entered the Women’s College World Series without a home run in her last 15 games.
“Everything before for me doesn’t really matter,” Sanders said Thursday. “It’s what’s going on right now.”
The Sooners maintained confidence in their power-hitting first baseman. Sanders has started 50 out of 56 games this season, the sixth most on the team. She has made only one defensive error and drawn the second-most walks, with the team achieving a walk rate of 17.5%, the second-highest in program history.
Opposing pitchers, coaches, teammates, and fans respect Sanders’ ability, evident from the crowd’s reactions to her powerful swings. Despite her recent struggles, the ball finally dropped for her when it mattered.
In the WCWS opener against Duke, with the Sooners leading 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Sanders hit a low pitch deep into left field for a 237.6-foot home run. The two-run homer forced Duke to change pitchers and helped secure a run-rule win for the Sooners. This victory not only eased their path to the championship series but also possibly reawakened Sanders’ potential.
After breaking Arizona State’s single-season home run record with 21 in her freshman year before transferring to Oklahoma, Sanders experienced a similar early slump with the Sooners but hit four home runs in the postseason, including a crucial one in the national championship win over Florida State. She now has 13 home runs this season, the third-best on the team.
Regardless of whether Thursday’s home run sparks more during the tournament, pitchers will have to consider her power, which is advantageous for the Sooners’ lineup.
“It really doesn’t matter to me what you’ve done through the season,” OU head coach Patty Gasso said. “This is where everyone’s going to remember it … For Cyd Sanders, I am thrilled.”
Oklahoma continues its WCWS journey at 2 p.m. Saturday against UCLA on ABC. The winner will advance to the semifinal round with two chances to win one game and move on to the championship series.
