Sooners extend win streak to 71; OSU sweeps

NORMAN – The No. 1 Oklahoma Softball team saw its lineup produce a combined 23 runs on 27 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Louisiana and Liberty on Saturday at Love’s Field, extending its NCAA-record winning streak to 71 games in front of a home crowd of 4,450.

OU (18-0, 0-0 Big 12) blanked the Ragin’ Cajuns (8-11, 0-0 Sun Belt) 8-0 in Saturday’s first game as senior third baseman Alyssa Brito went 3-for-3 with three doubles to support a strong start from Kierston Deal. Six different Sooners recorded multi-hit games against Liberty (8-9, 0-0 CUSA) as Oklahoma piled up a season-high 15 runs and 17 hits in a 15-3 win.

OKLAHOMA 8, LOUISIANA 0 (5)

Strong starting pitching led OU to its 11th shutout of 2024 in Saturday’s first game as sophomore left-hander Kierston Deal spun 4.0 scoreless innings to improve to 3-0. The southpaw scattered three hits and a pair of walks, striking out a pair.

The Sooners opened the scoring with a three-spot in the first on a trio of RBI doubles from Alyssa Brito, Ella Parker and Tiare Jennings. OU tacked on four runs an inning later, sparked by a Riley Ludlam solo shot to right. Brito added an RBI double before a bases-loaded walk drawn by Avery Hodge and a Jenning sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 7-0.

Already 2-for-2 on the day, Brito doubled for the third time in the fourth and later scored on a Maya Bland groundout to give OU the eight-run advantage. Paytn Monticelli finished off Louisiana with a scoreless fifth.

Brito’s monster 3-for-3, three-double day anchored the Oklahoma lineup as Rylie Boone added a 2-for-3 afternoon.

OKLAHOMA 15, LIBERTY 3 (F/5)

The Sooners produced a season-high 15 runs on a season-best 17 hits in game two against the Flame, piling on the runs with crooked numbers in the second, third and fourth. Jayda Coleman went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, Cydney Sanders homered and drove in four while Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, Kasidi Pickering and Alynah Torres added two-hit efforts as part of the phenomenal performance from the lineup.

Nicole May earned the win to improve to 6-0, retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced with a pair of strikeouts. Karlie Keeney added a scoreless frame in the fourth.

Sanders started the scoring with a solo shot in the second to begin a five-run frame that included a two-run blast from Jennings. The Sooners added seven runs in a third inning that featured RBI knocks from Rylie Boone, Kinzie Hansen and Kasidi Pickering before Sanders capped the stanza with a bases-clearing double lofted into shallow left.

Coleman singled in a run for her third hit of the day in the fourth, then Brito hammered a two-run home run to right to make it 15-0 Oklahoma. Liberty scratched across three runs in the fifth before Kelly Maxwell finished things off.

Up Next

OU returns to action at Love’s Field on Sunday, March 3, with a 12:30 p.m. CT start against RV/RV Louisiana.

COWGIRLS WIN TWICE

STILLWATER–Six home runs, 20 hits and 17 runs propelled the No. 3 Oklahoma State softball team to a pair of wins, 4-1 over Seattle and 13-1 over Drake, at Cowgirl Stadium today.

With Friday’s results, the Cowgirls improve to 17-2 on the season and notched their seventh run-rule victory of the season.

In the day’s first game against Seattle, the Cowgirls hit three home runs to lead them to their first victory of the day.

Micaela Wark got the scoring started in the second with a solo shot into right center field to take an early lead. Jilyen Poullard added a two-run long-ball in the fourth to grow the lead to three runs through four innings.

The Redhawk’s got on the board in the sixth off a wild pitch that scored Sydney Frankenberger.

Katie Lott capped off the scoring with a pinch-hit solo home run in the sixth, her second of the season.

Katie Kutz captured her third win of the season with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings of work and Kyra Aycock got her first save of the year in the game one victory. Seattle’s Nicola Simpson moved to 2-4 with the loss.

The Cowgirls kept the home runs coming in the second game of the day, tallying three long balls. Ivy Rosenberry improved to 4-0 as she pitched four innings to go with five strikeouts.

Oklahoma State scored in the first inning for the 11th time this season after Karli Godwin hit a SAC fly into center field to score Tallen Edwards. Rosie Davis followed with an RBI single that scored Claire Timm to extend the lead to two. In the second, Megan Bloodworth scored off an Edwards triple to extend the lead to 3-0.

The Cowgirls broke the game open in the third inning, scoring seven runs on five hits, including home runs from Wark, Karli Godwin and Caroline Wang.

Drake responded with a run in the fourth, but the Pokes quickly replied with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a pinch-hit triple from Lott that scored Lexi McDonald.

The Cowgirls return to action when they host Wichita State at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium.