Sooners, Cowgirls start Big 12 series with wins

LAWRENCE, Kan.–Graduate left-hander Kelly Maxwell struck out nine and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the top-ranked Oklahoma softball team took its series opener 6-1 over No. 24/RV Kansas in Lawrence on Thursday evening.

The Sooners (32-1, 10-0 Big 12) homered in each of the first three innings to build their lead over the Jayhawks (22-9-1, 7-3 Big 12). Oklahoma’s win coupled with a Texas loss at Oklahoma State gained OU a game in the conference standings, improving to 2.0 games up on the Longhorns and maintaining the two-game lead on OSU. The Sooners and Jayhawks play game 2 at 5 p.m. today.

Maxwell was simply brilliant while earning her 10th win of the season, striking out nine Jayhawks and allowing just five baserunners on a hit and four walks. She logged 6.2 hitless innings before KU hit a solo home run with two away in the seventh, spoiling the no-hit bid. The left-hander threw 68 of her 111 pitches for strikes (61.3%) and extended her winning streak to five straight victorious starts.

Tiare Jennings (1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI) opened the scoring in the first with a towering two-run shot to center, her 13th home run of the season. Cydney Sanders (1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI) added a two-run shot in the second, then Riley Ludlam (0-for-2, R) reached on an error and scored courtesy of a Kasidi Pickering (2-for-2, RBI) single for a 5-0 Sooner lead through two.

Alynah Torres (1-for-4, R, HR, RBI) added the final OU tally in the third with her seventh home run in her last 20 games.

Jayda Coleman (2-for-3, BB, R) reached three times out of the leadoff spot to join Pickering in the multi-hit game department while also extending her on-base streak to 20 consecutive games.

Cowgirls get shutout win

STILLWATER – Lexi Kilfoyl threw her third complete-game shutout of the season to lift No. 8 Oklahoma State to a 5-0 win over No. 2 Texas Thursday night at Cowgirl Stadium.

The win improves the Cowgirls to 28-5 on the year (8-2 in the Big 12). The loss drops the Longhorns to 28-4 overall (8-2 in the Big 12)

Oklahoma State jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the first three innings of play behind a pair of solo home runs from Karli Godwin in the first and Tallen Edwards in the third. Micaela Wark was able to push two runs across for the Cowgirls on a double down the right field line.

Oklahoma State added an insurance run in the fifth behind Wark’s seventh home run of the year.

Offensive standouts included Wark (2-for-3 with three RBIs), Edwards (2-for-3 with an RBI) and Godwin (2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored).

Kilfoyl improved to 12-2 on the year, by holding the Longhorns scoreless on seven hits and striking out seven. Teagan Kavan took the loss for the Longhorns, pushing her to 11-3, going 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits.

Game two of the series is set for 7 p.m. tomorrow at Cowgirl Stadium.