Oklahoma sweeps Florida to repeat as softball champion

Shay Knighten hit a three-run double in the second inning and Oklahoma defended its NCAA softball title with a 5-4 win over Florida on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

Knighten, who hit a three-run homer in the 17th inning to help win Game 1 on Monday, was selected the World Series’ Most Outstanding Player.

The Sooners (61-9) took both games from Florida in the best-of-three series to earn their third NCAA title in five years.

Top-seeded Florida (58-10) did not allow an earned run in three games to reach the championship series, but the Sooners were able to break through against what statistically was the nation’s best pitching staff.

Citing the hypocrisy of college sports, an NCAA bylaw and standards of decency, Cameron Johnson, a graduate transfer from Pittsburgh, made his case for the immediate eligibility that he seeks at North Carolina.

After announcing his intention to transfer to North Carolina, Johnson, a former basketball player at Pittsburgh, released a lengthy statement in which he argued why he should be immediately eligible to compete at North Carolina.