Oklahoma and Texas A&M crowned SEC co-champions after rain cancels championship softball game

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Four-time defending national champion Oklahoma and Texas A&M were declared co-champions of the Southeastern Conference softball tournament after rainfall forced the cancelation of the championship game on Saturday.

The start time was moved ahead four hours with rain in the forecast, but it came sooner than expected and the game never got underway.

The top-seeded Sooners (45-7) — in their first season in the SEC — won the regular-season title with a 17-7 record

The second-seeded Aggies (45-9), who joined the SEC in 2012, finished 16-7 and were playing for their first conference championship since leaving the Big 12.

Six of Oklahoma’s eight national championships have come since 2016 and all of them under head coach Patty Gasso, who took the reins in 1995. The Sooners were runners-up in 2012 and 2019. The Sooners have advanced to the Women’s College World Series in 17 of their 30 previous appearances. Oklahoma won nine Big 12 Tournaments and 16 regular-season titles under Gasso.

Texas A&M won NCAA championships in 1983 and 1987. They were runners-up in 1984, 1986 and 2008. The Aggies have advanced to the WCWS in eight of their 34 previous NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Sooners trailed Arkansas 6-1 in the semifinals before rallying for an 8-6 victory by hitting a tournament-record six homers — two by Sydney Barker. Gabbie Garcia won it with a walk-off three-run shot. It was largest comeback win in tournament history and the 17th time this season the Sooners rallied from behind to win.

The Aggies — in their third season with Trisha Ford as head coach — beat first-year member and former Big 12-rival Texas 14-2 in the other semifinal.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports