OU softball continues to rack up wins

OXFORD, Ohio — No. 1 Oklahoma picked up two non-conference softball wins Saturday at the Miami Invitational in Oxford, Ohio, beating Louisville 10-1 in five innings before a 13-1 six-inning victory over host Miami of Ohio. The wins moved OU’s nation-best win streak to 31 games.

The Sooners (39-1, 9-0 Big 12) outscored their two opponents by a combined score of 23-2 and outhit them 27-9 with six home runs on the day.

In game one, after OU starter Alex Storako retired the side at the top of the first as the Sooners were the designated home team, Oklahoma’s offense started hot with seven runs on eight hits in the bottom frame.

Following a leadoff single from Jayda Coleman, Haley Lee brought her in with a deep shot to center field for her team-leading 12th home run of the season. The Sooners proceeded to load the bases and brought in runs via: bases-loaded walk to Alynah Torres, two-RBI single from Rylie Boone and Coleman two-run double to left center.

The Cardinals (26-14, 10-4 ACC) got a run back in the second via an RBI groundout, marking the first run the Sooner pitching staff had surrendered in over 31 innings.

OU quickly responded with another pair of runs in the second. Hansen ripped a single to center to plate one before sophomore Cydney Sanders blasted her second home run as a Sooner on a two-run shot to center field.

Storako earned the win to move to 13-0 on the year before giving way to freshman Kierston Deal in the fourth. Storako finished with a line of one run on two hits and one walk to go with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.

Deal closed things with a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, giving up just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.

Eight Sooners recorded a hit in the first game, led by two-hit performances from Coleman, Brito and Hansen.

After a scoreless two-inning start to the second game of the day against host Miami (24-16, 11-6 MAC), the Sooners opened things up with a three-run third inning and scored in every inning thereafter to win 13-1 in six.

In the third, Coleman ripped an RBI single for her first of four hits in the contest. Fellow junior All-American Tiare Jennings followed her with a two-run double to center field. The Redhawks got a run back in the bottom half of the third via solo home run, the first homer the Sooners have surrendered since April 2, six games ago.

OU quickly got the run back at the top of the fourth with a leadoff home run from Torres. It was Torres’ second homer as a Sooner and 39th of her career.

Sophia Nugent joined the party with a two-run home run in the fifth before OU exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning to push the game into run-rule territory.

Jennings started the frame with her 10th home run of the season on a two-run shot to deep center before a Brito run-scoring double. Hansen then hit OU’s second blast of the inning and fourth of the game. Redshirt freshman Quincee Lilio closed the scoring with an RBI single that scored a pair.

OU starter Nicole May (12-0) earned the win in 4.1 innings pitched, allowing one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Sophomore righty Jordy Bahl closed the game with a scoreless 1.2 innings and two strikeouts.

Twelve Sooners registered a hit paced by Coleman’s 4-for-5 showing, her second four-hit game of 2023 and third of her career. Four Sooners went yard in the game, marking the third game of the season OU has homered four-plus times in one contest.

OU collected their 20th and 21st run rule of the season out of 40 games. The Sooners are outscoring the opposition 342-35 on the year with 76 home runs and a .380 team batting average. The pitching staff holds a 1.16 team ERA with 319 strikeouts on the season.

Up next, top-ranked Oklahoma returns to conference play with a three-game series in Waco, Texas, vs. No. 18/19 Baylor, April 21-23.