Any lingering questions about this Oklahoma Sooners teams should be put to bed after closing out the [autotag]Mary Nutter Classic[/autotag] with a 14-0 domination over the previously undefeated and No. 1 ranked UCLA Bruins.
The Oklahoma Sooners wasted no time establishing themselves at the plate, loading the bases early against UCLA ace pitcher [autotag]Megan Fariamo[/autotag]. Though Oklahoma wasn’t able to push any runs across the plate, that set the stage for what was to come over the final four innings.
With two outs in the second inning, the Oklahoma Sooners began the launch party with back-to-back home runs from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] to make it 2-0. Then [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] hit two-run home runs to put the Sooners up 6-0 after two.
Oklahoma kept the offense going in the third. After Brito was moved over to third on Jayda Coleman’s double, Tiare Jennings drove both of them in to extend the lead to 8-0.
In the top of the fourth, Oklahoma continued to pour it on with a [autotag]Kinzie Hansen [/autotag]home run, a two-run shot for her first of the season. Since her 2023 debut on Friday, Hansen had an RBI in each game for the Sooners. Well, she erupted in this one. In addition to her two-run home run in the fourth, Hansen had a three-run homer in the fifth to eclipse her RBI total coming into the season.
Hansen finished the day 2 for 4 with two home runs, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Back in 2021, Hansen hit 20 home runs before an injury-laden 2022. She looks to have found her power stroke so far in 2023, which will make the Sooners even more dangerous.
Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings also had fantastic days at the plate, each going three for four in the win. Both Coleman and Jennings hit home runs and Jennings had four RBIs for the Sooners.
After not registering a hit in Friday’s wins over Cal State Fullerton and Texas A&M, Jennings went 6 for 9 on Saturday and Sunday with two home runs, six RBIs, and three runs scored. The preseason favorite for national player of the year has begun to find her hitting stroke, and that’s a dangerous proposition for Oklahoma’s opponents.
True freshman [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] had another solid day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a run scored. Erickson’s now hitting .571 on the season to lead the Sooners. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] improved her batting average to .423 after a two-hit performance.
Not to be outdone, [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] was magnificent. She asserted herself as one of the best pitchers in college softball with her five-inning shutout of UCLA. She allowed just three hits in the game, all singles, and was never in any real danger. Storako struck out five Bruins and didn’t allow a walk in a dominant performance.
Storako’s now 4-0 on the season and lowered her ERA to 0.34. She’s recorded 26 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched this season.
Oklahoma is now 13-1 on the season. They’ve recorded nine shutouts and nine run-rule victories in their first 14 games.
The Sooners return home to the friendly confines of Marita Hynes field for the OU Tournament. They’ll face Incarnate word and Kentucky twice over the three-day tourney.
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