OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Jackie Traina threw a five-hitter and delivered a key RBI single, and Alabama became the first Southeastern Conference team to win a NCAA softball title, beating Oklahoma 5-4 in the final game of a best-of-three series that ended early Thursday.
Traina gave up three home runs - two to Lauren Chamberlain, including one in the seventh inning - but fanned her Oklahoma counterpart, Keilani Ricketts, to end the game.
Alabama (60-8) took advantage of Ricketts' wildness to score four runs in the fourth inning. The Crimson Tide overcame an early 3-0 deficit in a game delayed almost three hours at the start due to steady rain on Wednesday night.
Oklahoma (54-10) had won 12 straight games, including the opening game of the championship series, before losing two in a row.
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