Sooners rout Hofstra in softball regional

NORMAN — Two-time defending national champion Oklahoma opened the NCAA tournament with a dominant 11-0 display over Hofstra in five innings.

The top-seeded Sooners were powered by a pair of home runs from Grace Lyons and Jayda Coleman and a one-hit performance in the circle from Nicole May and Alex Storako.

With the win, OU (52-1) improved its nation-best and program-record win streak to 44 games, pulling closer to 1996-97 Arizona’s 47 game mark that stands as the NCAA Division I record. Additionally, Friday’s win was Oklahoma’s nation-best 25th run-rule victory of 2023.

OU moved to 25-4 in NCAA Regional openers including five straight victories. In OU’s last five regional openers, the Sooners are outscoring the opposition 65-0.

The Sooners struck early off the bat of super senior Haley Lee. Following an error that allowed Jayda Coleman to reach base and a double from Tiare Jennings, Lee legged out an infield single that let Coleman race home for the first run of the game.

After May retired the side for the second consecutive inning at the top of the second, Grace Lyons added to OU’s lead with a towering two-run home run to left field. It was the redshirt senior captain’s eighth blast of the season and 58th of her career, good for sixth in program history.

Hostra (29-26) got their only hit of the game on a leadoff double in the third inning, before May retired the next three batters to strand the runner.

In the bottom half of the third, Kinzie Hansen brought in another pair of OU runs on a double to right center to make it 5-0, OU through three.

The top of the fourth saw May retire the side in order for the third of four innings before the OU offense poured in six runs on four hits and a Pride error.

Following a walk to senior Alynah Torres, Coleman homered to center for her team-best 15th round-tripper of the year. Then after a pair of walks, junior Alyssa Brito hit an RBI single to bring in pinch runner Jocelyn Erickson before Hansen ripped another two-run base hit. OU’s last run of the game came via error on a high fly ball by Grace Green that was dropped at second base.

Redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Alex Storako closed for the Sooners, setting down the Pride in order with one strikeout.

May moved to 17-0 on the year in an exceptional four-inning, one hit, zero walk scoreless showing to go with five strikeouts.

At the plate, eight Sooners recorded a hit, paced by Hansen’s 3-for-3, four RBI day. Coleman and Lyons each brought in a pair on the day as five Sooners batted in at least one run.

The Sooners advance in their regional to face the winner of Friday’s nightcap between Missouri and Cal. The game will start at 2 p.m. with TV designation to be determined on ESPN’s family of networks.