Tag: Alyssa Brito

Sooners depth shines in 6-1 win over the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners depth stepped up when the top of the order was held in check by the Texas Longhorns, and that was the difference in their Big 12 title win over the Texas Longhorns.

Some days, the opposition just gets the better of your best players. That’s sort of what happened on Saturday in Oklahoma City when the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 title game.

Texas held [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] to an 0-12 day combined. The difference in the 6-1 win was the play of Haley Lee, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, Nicole May, and Jordy Bahl.

So when I say “sort of,” what I mean is the Sooners have a lot of “best players.”

Their lineup is littered with some of the best players in the country. Players that would be the best player on 99% of teams in the country. And Oklahoma needed them to come through.

Haley Lee got the scoring going with a home run and scored a few innings later. Hansen, Boone, and Brito had RBIs as well. Bahl showed off her skills in the circle, at the plate, and on the base paths helping keep the Texas bats at bay and scoring a pair of runs with elite baserunning.

We know of Bahl’s pitching ability, but because she’s an exceptional athlete, she impacts the game in every facet.

And that’s why Oklahoma is so difficult to beat. Texas held Coleman and Jennings to zero hits. They are two of the best players in the nation and National Player of the Year Finalists. And it didn’t matter because Patty Gasso has assembled a roster that can beat you up and down the order.

Hansen’s been one of the best players on the roster this year. Her ability at the plate has given Oklahoma another hitter that can change a game with one swing of the bat. Her work behind the player has been instrumental in helping the Sooners nation-best team ERA.

Rylie Boone could be the leadoff hitter for 99% of teams across the country, and she helps set the table for Coleman and Jennings at the back of the order. Her hitting ability and speed threaten teams every time she comes to the plate.

And then there’s Alyssa Brito, a Big 12 all-conference team snub. She’s continued to be a big-time player for the Sooners and came through in a big moment with her RBI double.

Haley Lee hadn’t had a multi-hit game since April 8 and with her two-hit performance against Texas, she’s now had a pair of hits in back-to-back games for the first time since March 10.

The Oklahoma Sooners are an incredibly difficult team to beat because they have a dangerous lineup 1-9, and their bench can come through in a pinch as well. It matters that they have some of the best players in the game, but it also matters that this team has the best depth in the game.

And it’s that depth that’s going to help them in their pursuit of a third-straight national title.

Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners 6-1 win over Texas to secure Big 12 tournament title

Best social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners 6-1 win over the Texas Longhorns to secure the Big 12 tournament title.

In their 6-1 win, the Oklahoma Sooners battled against two really good pitchers in Citlally Gutierrez and Estelle Czech to secure their fifth Big 12 tournament title in the last six seasons in their 6-1 win.

The top four hitters in Oklahoma’s lineup didn’t fair well, going 0-12, but it didn’t matter because the back end of the order showed off the Sooners’ depth. Haley Lee, Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen, and Rylie Boone had RBIs, and Jordy Bahl scored a pair of runs to help the Sooners pick up the Big 12 championship sweep after their regular season title win.

It was a fantastic performance from Nicole May and Jordy Bahl, who allowed just one run on five hits and three walks on the day. Oklahoma showed off their hitting, pitching, and defensive prowess all weekend long and why they’re the favorite to win the national title again.

Now, the Sooners wait to hear who will join them in Norman for the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

It was a beautiful day for softball in Norman and the crowds turned out like they do for the growing sport of collegiate softball.

With another trophy for the trophy case secured, here’s how social media reacted to the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Texas Longhorns.

Oklahoma Sooners win Big 12 championship with 6-1 win over Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners captured the Big 12 tournament title with a 6-1 win over the Texas Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners completed the Big 12 sweep with their championship game win over the Texas Longhorns 6-1.

Both sides of the Red River championship showdown had their shot in the first couple of innings, but starters [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] and [autotag]Citally Gutierrez[/autotag] kept each side off the scoreboard. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] ended the scoreless duel by blasting a solo home run to lead off the third inning.

Texas responded with a solo shot of its own off the bat of [autotag]Viviana Martinez[/autotag] in the top of the fourth to make it a 1-1 game.

The Sooners wasted little time responding to the Longhorns’ salvo in the bottom of the fourth. With one out in the inning, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] hit a double and advanced to third on an errant throw. Brito scored on a wild pitch to give the Sooners the lead.

[autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] drew a walk and [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] was inserted to pinch run and stole second base. With two outs in the inning, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] drove a ball up the middle to bring [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] in from second to make it 4-1 Oklahoma.

In the sixth inning, Lee walked. With [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] running for Lee and one out in the inning, [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] drove a ball to right center. Hodge scored on a throwing error, which also allowed Bahl to advance to third on the play. With [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] at the plate, Bahl showed fantastic base running skills again, waiting out the throw from third basemen Mia Scott to dart for home, where she slid in to make the game 6-1.

After pinch running in the fourth, Bahl came into relieve [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag]. Bahl proceeded to throw three shutout innings with two hits and a walk, striking out three Longhorns to get the save. May improved to 16-0 on the season, allowing one run on three hits and a walk, with three strikeouts.

Lee led the way for the Sooners, going 2-for-2 with the home run, RBI and a walk.

The Oklahoma Sooners (51-1) and are on an incredible 43-game winning streak. The No. 1 team in the nation awaits the announcement on selection Sunday of who will join them for the Norman regional.

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Oklahoma’s win over Iowa State another statement of their dominance

The Oklahoma Sooners were dominant on both sides of the ball en route to their 9-0 win over Iowa State in the semifinals of the Big 12 softball championships.

That’s how you start postseason play. Oklahoma scored three runs in the first, four in the second, and two in the third to jump out to a 9-0 lead before the Iowa State Cyclones even registered a hit.

After getting a bye from winning the regular season title, the Sooners had to patiently wait their turn to begin their quest to capture the Big 12 tournament title.

As Tom Petty says, “the waiting is the hardest part.”

Oklahoma didn’t wait long to get going offensively against a hot Iowa State team that had won nine of their last 11, including an 8-1 win over the Baylor Bears on Thursday.

The Big 12’s Player of the Year, [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], led off with a double. The Sooners once again found themselves in a familiar place with the bases loaded. But unlike in their series against Oklahoma State, OU came through with an RBI single from [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and a two-run double from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] to get off to a hot start in postseason play.

[autotag]Grace Lyon[/autotag]’s three-run home run in the second and Coleman’s two-run bomb put the game completely out of reach for the Cyclones.

The best offense in the nation provided timely hitting and home run power to coast to an impressive run-rule shutout win.

And the pitching was equally effective in their five innings of work. [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] allowed just two walks in three innings, true freshman [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] allowed just one hit in 1.1 innings, and [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] pitched a perfect 0.2 innings of work to close out the combined one-hitter.

It was a strong performance to open postseason play as the No. 1 team in the nation pursues their third straight national championship and seventh overall.

Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners’ win over Iowa State.

Oklahoma Sooners off to roaring postseason start with 9-0 win over Iowa State

Oklahoma’s offense erupted for nine runs in the first three innings and Alex Storako, Kierston Deal, and Jordy Bahl combined to allow 1 hit in the Sooners 9-0 win over Iowa State.

It didn’t take long for the Oklahoma Sooners to announce their presence in the Big 12 championships with a 9-0 run-rule win over the Iowa State Cyclones.

[autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] made quick work of the Cyclones in the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning, forcing a trio of groundouts to retire the side.

Then the Sooners’ bats opened strongly with a leadoff double from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], who advanced to third on a wild pitch. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] walked and stole second, and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] walked to load the bases.

[autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]’ RBI single made it 1-0. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing Jennings out at home. Then [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] came through with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Lee attempted to score from first and was initially ruled safe at the plate, but replay review overturned the call.

Storako avoided trouble in the second when she issued back-to-back walks to open the frame by retiring the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cyclones off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the second, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] walked with one out. After a Coleman fly out to left, Boone advanced to second on a passed ball. Jennings drove Boone in to make it 4-0, and Sanders drew her second walk of the day. That’s when the captain put the game out of reach.

With two on and two out, Grace Lyons took the first pitch from Ellie Spelhaug to deep right center for a three-run home run to make the score 7-0.

Oklahoma kept the scoring going in the bottom of the third to put the game in run-rule territory when Jayda Coleman launched her team-leading 14th home run of the season to make it 9-0.

Coleman ended the day 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Lyons was 2-for-2 with four RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

Storako threw three innings, allowing no hits and two walks. She recorded three strikeouts before giving way to [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag]. Deal, a true freshman, threw 1.1 innings, allowing one hit, before Jordy Bahl closed out the win with a pair of strikeouts in 0.2 innings.

The Oklahoma Sooners (50-1) have won 42 in a row. Oklahoma awaits the winner of the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks in the other semifinal game. The Sooners swept both opponents in Big 12 play.

Texas reached the semifinal overcoming a four-run deficit against Texas Tech and the Jayhawks beat the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a game that required two days to play due to inclement weather.

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Oklahoma Sooners beat Oklahoma State Cowgirls 4-2 in comeback fashion

Oklahoma Sooners picked up their 40th consecutive win with four runs in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 win over Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma won game two of their three-game series against No.7/6 Oklahoma State 4-2 with three with four runs in the top of the seventh to improve to 48-1 on the season and 17-0 against the Big 12.

Oklahoma struggled most of the day on offense, with only three hits through the first six innings against Oklahoma State freshman pitcher Kyra Aycock. The Sooners then went to work in their final at-bat.

Oklahoma State lead 2-0 heading into the seventh after picking up an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth off of starter [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag].

[autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] doubled to lead off the inning, and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] followed that with a single to drive in pinch runner [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] from second.

Oklahoma State brought in the ace of their staff [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag], but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Rylie Boone drew a hit by pitch to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Maxwell was able to strikeout [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] to put pressure back on the Sooners, but after a wild pitch moved Torres on third and Boone on second, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] stepped up and blasted a two-run double to left center to put Oklahoma up 3-2.

“You can never count the Sooners out,” said Jennings after the game. “So much joy, so much fun playing. You can see that. We knew we were never out of this game, no matter what the score was, no matter what the inning was. We just knew in the dugout that we were gonna keep smiling, keep cheering and keep having fun.”

Cydney Sanders put the final dent in the score with an RBI single to make it 4-2. Maxwell walked [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], and Aycock came back in for Oklahoma State. She gave up a single to [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] but then forced Haley Lee to pop out to end the threat.

Then it was time for freshman [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] to shine.

After coming in to record the final out of the sixth inning in relief of Nicole May, Deal retired the Cowgirls in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the come-from-behind win for the Oklahoma Sooners. She retired all four batters she faced, striking out two Oklahoma State batters in the process to move to 2-0 on the season. With the effort, Deal’s ERA is now 0.95 on the season.

“This team knows as long as they have one out left in a game, they’re never out of it,” Gasso said after the win. “You could feel that momentum come. They will not be denied. They believe in each other. They are unafraid of losing, and that’s a big deal.”

Nicole May battled for 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits, two runs, a walk, and striking out four. May didn’t factor into the decision but kept the Cowgirls from creating big innings with some clutch pitching.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 48-1 and 17-0 in Big 12 play on the season and have now won 40 games in a row, surpassing their 39-game winning streak from a year ago. The Sooners and Cowgirls will play the final game of the series and the regular season on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm CT in Stillwater. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.

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Jordy Bahl battles, Cydney Sanders erases early deficit in Sooners 8-3 win over Oklahoma State

Jordy Bahl locked in after allowing a first inning home run, and Cydney Sanders continued her hot run going 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, in Oklahoma’s 8-3 win over Oklahoma State.

The Oklahoma Sooners took advantage of a tight strike zone against Oklahoma State Cowgirls ace [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] to get on the board in the top of the first.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] walked, and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] moved her to second with a single. With two outs in the inning, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] earned back-to-back walks to bring Jennings in to take a 1-0 lead.

However, that 1-0 lead was shortlived as the Cowgirls put pressure on Jordy Bahl in the bottom half of the inning. Oklahoma State’s [autotag]Rachel Becker[/autotag] led off with a walk, and [autotag]Kiley Naomi[/autotag] earned a one-out walk to put two on for outfielder Cheyenne Factor. Factor took the first pitch she saw from Jordy Bahl and launched it to left center to give the Cowgirls a 3-1 lead.

[autotag]Katelynn Carwile[/autotag] earned a two-out walk, a third of the inning for Bahl, and [autotag]Morgyn Wynne[/autotag] followed that with a double to put runners on second and third. Bahl locked in and struck out Taylor Tuck on three pitches to end the threat.

The Sooners came out strong in the top of the first in an effort to reassert their first inning lead. Rylie Boone led off with a walk, and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] was hit by a pitch following Sophia Nugent’s strikeout. After a fielder’s choice by Tiare Jennings moved Boone to third, Coleman was put out at second, leaving runners on first and third with two outs.

Continuing to trend in a positive direction for the Sooners, sophomore Cydney Sanders took a 2-0 offering to right center field to give the Sooners a 4-3 lead and they wouldn’t look back.

Bahl responded from her difficult first inning to shut the door with the help of some excellent defense from the Sooners. The sophomore pitcher allowed just four base runners the rest of the way.

 

Alynah Torres provided an insurance run in the fifth inning and Oklahoma added a run in the sixth on Alyssa Brito’s team-tying 13th home run of the season. But Oklahoma wasn’t done there, putting a pair of runs across the plate in the seventh to put the game out of reach for the Cowgirls with the way Bahl was pitching.

Jordy Bahl struck out eight in the complete game effort, scattering five hits, four walks, and a hit by pitch across her seven innings of work. The first inning home run was the first run allowed for the USA Softball National Player of the Year finalist since March 31 vs. Texas. Bahl improved to 15-1 on the season and her ERA is sitting at 1.19.

Cydney Sanders continued her hot stretch of the season, posting a 3-for-5 effort with the three-run home run and a run score. Back on April 1 against Texas, Sanders’ batting average dropped to .214 on the season. She’s raised it to .294 over the last five weeks, batting .400 with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and 11 runs scored.

In addition to the offensive outburst from Sanders and Brito, the two combined for an incredible defensive effort in the bottom of the fourth.

The Oklahoma Sooners extended their winning streak to 39 games and are now 16-0 in Big 12 play and 47-1 on the season. Game two of the series can be seen on ESPN on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.

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No. 1 Oklahoma Softball at No. 7/6 Oklahoma State: How to watch, weekend preview, key players

The Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowgirls get set for a top 10 Bedlam matchup.

For the final week of the regular season, all eyes turn to Stillwater, Oklahoma for 2023’s edition of Bedlam Softball.

The Oklahoma Sooners come in 46-1 and 15-0 in Big 12 play, riding a nation’s best 38-game winning streak. Oklahoma State is 45-10 and 10-5 in conference play. They’ve lost seven of their last nine games, including upset losses to Texas Tech, Iowa State, Wichita State, UNT, and were swept by the Texas Longhorns in Austin.

Though the Cowgirls are reeling a bit, they’re a force on the diamond and have gone 19-3 at home this season.

As the Sooners and Cowgirls get set for Bedlam Softball in Stillwater, here’s a look at how you can tune in, players to watch, a series outlook, and our prediction.

Jordy Bahl, Cydney Sanders lead Oklahoma to 7-0 win over Baylor.

Jordy Bahl was sensational again, striking out 10 Baylor Bears to lead Oklahoma to a 7-0 win to improve to 40-1.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] extended her scoreless innings streak to 22.2 innings and the Oklahoma Sooners got to Doriana Orme early and often to pick up their 40th win of the season over Baylor 7-0.

After dropping their only game of the season to the Bears just over two months ago, Oklahoma has now won 32 in a row to improve to 40-1 on the season.

Bahl threw an efficient 5.2 innings with 10 strikeouts to pick up her 13th win of the season, and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] provided 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Bahl and May combined for Oklahoma’s 24th shutout of the season by allowing just four hits in the win.

Oklahoma loaded the bases in the first inning but couldn’t cash in on Orme, but made the Baylor ace throw more than 30 pitches in the inning. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] attempted to score on a [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] single through the right side, but was thrown out from right field at the plate. That was the closest the Sooners came to scoring in the first inning.

It was in the second inning that the Sooners broke through when Cydney Sanders hit her third home run of the season, a bomb to left field.

In the third inning, Tiare Jennings led off with a double, but Oklahoma couldn’t do much with it after Haley Lee popped out in foul territory and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] struck out swinging. However, the captain, Grace Lyons, was able to punch a single up the middle, scoring Jennings to give Oklahoma a 2-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Sooners broke the game open, taking advantage of back-to-back errors by the Bears and some timely hitting to take a 5-0 lead and force Orme from the circle.

The Sooners added a couple more in the fifth inning on a double from [autotag]Sophia Nugent[/autotag] and an RBI single from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag].

With the win, Bahl improved to 13-1 on the season and has recorded 117 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched. She lowered her ERA to 1.12 on the season.

[autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] had perhaps her best performance of the season, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and a pair of walks. It was her first game this season with multiple extra-base hits in the same game. In her last three games, Sanders is 4-for-6 with two home runs, two doubles, three RBIs, and five runs scored.

Alyssa Brito and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] each had multi-hit games in the Sooners win over the Baylor Bears.

The Sooners improved to 10-0 in Big 12 play and after Oklahoma State’s loss to Texas earlier, the Sooners now have a two-game lead for first place in the Big 12. Baylor fell to 4-6 in conference play.

The two sides meet up again at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday. Game two of the series can be seen on ESPN+.

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Jordy Bahl continues dominance in Sooners 3-0 win over No. 12 LSU Tigers

Jordy Bahl struck out 13 Tigers to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a 3-0 road win over No. 12 LSU.

The Oklahoma Sooners went into a hostile environment in Baton Rouge and came up with a big 3-0 win against the No. 12 LSU Tigers. Jordy Bahl was phenomenal, throwing a complete game shutout, and striking out 13 batters for the win.

At the plate, the Sooners scored three in the top of the second, and that’s all the offense they’d need for the win.

[autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] reached on an error and advanced to second on an errant throw. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] then drove her in with a single up the heart of the Tigers’ defense. Then with two outs in the inning, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] gave the Sooners a pair of insurance runs with a two-run home run to make it 3-0.

On Tuesday night, in a big-time nonconference matchup getting the ESPN2 nationally televised broadcast, Bahl delivered.

Only in the sixth inning did the Tigers threaten to put a dent in Oklahoma’s 3-0 lead. LSU was able to get runners on first and second with two outs and [autotag]Georgia Clark[/autotag] at the plate. Coming into the matchup with Oklahoma, Clark had three home runs in her previous four games, according to the ESPN2 broadcast. She battled Bahl to a full count before lining to Alyssa Brito at third base to end the inning.

Bahl allowed just three hits on the evening and walked one batter to continue a dominant run that dates back to March 13. Since allowing two runs in two innings pitched to Mississippi State on March 11, Bahl’s allowed only one run in her last 38 innings pitched.

In that same span, she’s recorded 53 strikeouts and allowed just 12 hits. To say she’s been on a roll of late is an understatement. Against a good LSU squad, Oklahoma needed Bahl to step up, and she did in a big way. She’s shown time and again in her first two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners that she’s made for the moment.

Bahl moved to 12-1 on the season and lowered her ERA 1.30. She’s recorded 105 strikeouts in 81 innings in 2023.

The Sooners moved to 37-1 on the season and remain undefeated against top-25 opponents at 13-0. This was their 23rd shutout of the season. Oklahoma has won 29 in a row as they get set for the Miami (Ohio) Tournament, where they’ll face Oakland, Louisville, and Miami this weekend.

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