By Mallory Mattingly
The Oklahoma Sooners might have missed their chance at another Women’s College World Series Championship title, losing 3-2 to Texas Tech last week, but they still trust God.
“After yesterday’s loss, we were crying on the field and holding each other,” Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, a redshirt freshman from Waianae, Hawaii, shared on Instagram last week. “Despite being so devastated that our season was over, I walked into the dugout to see my batting glove shaped into a 4. My heart sank as I came into a realization that ‘the fourth man in the fire’ is so much more than I thought.”
The infielder continued: “We can’t pray for outcomes, but we can find comfort in knowing that the Lord is with us no matter what those outcomes are. And after the game, I found so much comfort in the Lord, knowing that our story is NOT over, and He has so many greater things waiting for us. A loss isn’t the end of the world, and I’m so excited to see what He has in store for us. BOOMER SOONER FOREVER❤️”
The Sooners’ faith-filled coach Patty Gasso praised her players for their hard work on the field.
“They continued to believe,” she said. “…It’s been a joyous ride…The amount of rebounded, like extra-inning or last-inning heroics and come-from-behind wins has been something incredible.”
Following the loss last Monday, other Sooners shared their disappointment but also their reliance on God.
Related: Oklahoma Softball Team ‘Trusting the Lord’ as They Prep for WCWS
“I’m just so proud of all this team has accomplished,” Ella Parker said, per SoonersWire. “Especially just coming from the fall to now we’ve grown so much together. Just to see the amount of growth we’ve taken as a team, it’s just so cool to see where we ended up. We’re never going to give up without a fight.”
“I agree with Ella,” pitcher Sam Landry echoed. “I think it’s hard to get sad in the middle of a game when you know that God already wrote the story. Just relying on Him. We knew it was going to turn out exactly how He wanted and I think they’re ready to go next season and I’m ready to take a break for a minute.”
Cydney Sanders, a senior, reflected on her career as a Sooner: “I honestly think it was like a very cinematic way to go out. God’s presence was shown. Abi [Dayton] literally came up 0-2 and hit a ball. That was insane. I don’t know. I’m still in shock. I think it was a great way to go out, honestly. I’m very proud of this team.”
“Especially, we literally have 14 new players. That is something that you’ve never seen before,” she continued. “Coming to the World Series, everybody was against us. We ended up in the semifinals. I think this team is going to go a long way regardless if I’m here or not. I’m very proud to end my career like this.”
It’s amazing to see athletes like these young women trust God even in disappointing circumstances.
Read Next: Oklahoma Softball Star Knew ‘God Is With Me’ as She Won Historic Game
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +4