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The legend of Jocelyn Alo came full circle on Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd at the Rainbow Wahine Classic at the University of Hawaii.
Alo, a Hawaii native, became the new NCAA Division I home run queen with No. 96 on a 2-1 count in the top of the 6th inning against Hawaii. Senior Ashley Murphy was the pitcher for the Rainbow Wahine.
Alo blasted a pitch over the wall in right-center. She sprinted around the bases, finger pointed in the air and airplaned toward home plate where her teammates swarmed her. The crowd was screaming and wanted a curtain call. Hawaii head coach Bob Coolen emerged from the home team’s dugout, walked toward Alo and placed a lei around her neck.
“It definitely was a surreal moment, everything coming full circle and getting to do this in front of my home crowd was super exciting,” Alo told reporters after the game. “Looking up after, I was like ‘Dang, I’m so blessed to be home.’”
9️⃣6️⃣. ??????? ????? ???????? ??? ?? pic.twitter.com/sI22YeoCjv
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 12, 2022
Since tying the record once held by another Sooner, Lauren Chamberlain, Alo didn’t get many pitches to hit. Almost like teams were trying to avoid being the one that gave up the record-breaker.
Earlier on Friday against Cal and with her high school coach and current teams at Campbell High School in the stands she went 0-for-1 with 2 walks.
Her former head coach Michael “Shug” Hermosura and I exchanged text messages before the first game on Friday.
“It’s nice to see her come back to her roots and having to give back to the community,” he said about her return to the island. “Her humbleness and her work ethic (stood out to me). (She is) a great student at home and a hard worker on the field. Always showed great leadership. The girls that she was playing with her look up to her.”
That hard work gave Hermosura an inkling that she may go on to do big things at the next level and he hoped that she would leave her mark on top of the record books.
“Was hoping (she would break the home run record),” he texted. “Ever since she went to college and started believing in Oklahoma’s philosophy. Over here she was hitting bombs and hitting seeds.”
Earlier in the week, the Oklahoma softball team hosted a camp for local kids. Alo fought back tears and talked to 70-something campers and their parents.
“It’s surreal being back here,” she told them. “I never thought I would play in Hawaii, let along do a camp for you guys. It’s really a full-circle moment. I grew up 4 years old just hitting balls with my dad on this field, and now I get to give back to you guys. I’m just so grateful to be here and to inspire Hawaii kids, too. This means a lot to me.”
Just a girl from Hawaii ♥️ @78jocelyn_alo pic.twitter.com/mbAN3lqDrR
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 10, 2022
The story of Jocelyn Alo couldn’t be scripted any better. Well, maybe a few more home runs and another national championship might.
Maren Angus is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has covered softball for various outlets over the last several years. When she isn’t watching softball, she is obsessing over the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing ice hockey with her husband or trying to avoid singing Baby Shark with her stepdaughter.
