The Oklahoma Sooners looked free, relaxed, and to be having fun in their 10-1 win over the Kansas Jayhawks. Half of their 10 hits were of the extra base variety. OU jumped on KU with five runs in the first inning before adding five more in the second and third to run away with their quarterfinal win in the Big 12 tournament.
It was a continuation of their 8-2 win in the finale against Oklahoma State last weekend. They were aggressive in the count and on the basepaths putting pressure on Kansas in a variety of ways.
“It’s fun to coach that way,” Patty Gasso said after the game. “It’s kind of hard at times. They’re such good hitters you don’t want to take the bat out of their hands, but they’re also very good with contact. They can hit bad pitches or not great pitches hard. I think we really wanted to make whoever we’re playing feel that way right from the start.”
Ella Parker and Alyssa Brito scored on close plays at the plate that only happened because of their aggressiveness.
[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], the top four hitters in the order, combined to go 6-for-7 with three extra base hits, three walks, eight runs scored, and seven RBIs. Rylie Boone helped set the table from her No. 9 spot with a two-hit day of her own.
[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] worked around a rough first inning to allow just one run but settled in to allow only one base runner in the next two innings. Peytn Monticelli allowed only a hit batter in her two innings of work.
Now, the Sooners continue in the Big 12 tournament with a 5 p.m. CT date against the BYU Cougars, who knocked off the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the quarterfinals on Thursday.