OU Softball: Oklahoma Rebounds With Easy Victory over Cal State Fullerton

The Sooners opened the Mary Nutter Classic with an emphatic victory over the Titans that featured big hits from the bottom of the lineup, sharp pitching and good defense.

Patty Gasso doesn’t like to lose. But Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame skipper certainly relishes getting to coach her team in the wake of defeat.

Coming off their first setback of the year at Baylor last weekend, Gasso made sure all week in practice that she got her team’s attention, and it paid off in a 8-0 run rule victory Friday over Cal State Fullerton at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, CA.

Gasso got power hitting from the bottom of the lineup, clutch pitching from starter Alex Storako, and important defensive plays as No. 2-ranked Oklahoma improved to 9-1 this season. The Titans fell to 6-6.

OU had been ranked No. 1 for the last two years — 29 consecutive polls on the way to back-to-back national championships — but dropped to No. 2 this week after falling 4-3 Sunday to the Bears in Waco.

That game showed a lack of patience at the plate from the Sooners, as well as other things Gasso addressed in practice this week. But any maladies from Sunday didn’t carry over to the Mary Nutter opener. In fact, Oklahoma wasted no time whatsoever getting the bats going.

After Storako retired the Titans in order in the top of the first inning, Jayda Coleman opened the bottom of the frame with a walk. Coleman then scored easily on new 2-hole hitter Grace Lyons’ RBI double down the left field line to give the Sooners a 1-0 lead.

But Fullerton pitcher Raci Miranda got a groundout and two strikeouts to keep Lyons at second base and limit the damage to just one run.

Things got interesting in the second, as Storako allowed two baserunners in scoring position with no outs, but got out of her own trouble.

Storako plunked leadoff hitter Daisy Munoz, then gave up a double to Jessi Alcala down the left field line. Storako responded, striking out Evelyn Sabla and Peyton Toto and inducing a soft groundout back to the circle to end the threat.

Haley Lee and Alynah Torres began the bottom of the inning with back-to-back walks, setting the table for Rylie Boone, who delivered an opposite-field RBI single to score Lee from second base.

From the 9-hole, Sophia Nugent then smashed a three-run home run deep over the wall in left field for a 5-0 Sooner lead. Nugent’s big swing was the seventh pitch of her at-bat, including a pair of two-strike foul balls. It was the sophomore’s third career home run and second this season, and doubled her RBI total for 2023.

Storako got some serious defensive help in the third.

After Storako put on two more baserunners with a walk and a hard-hit grounder that Brito booted at third, Hannah Becer smacked a sharp single to left. De Antuanett tried to stretch from second base, but she was gunned down at the plate — a big throw home by Boone and an athletic catch-and-swipe tag by Nugent.

Buoyed by the defensive momentum, the Sooners extended their lead with more fireworks in the bottom of the third.

With two out, Torres reached on an error in right field, and Boone, the Sooners’ 8-hole hitter, smashed a two-run home run to right to put OU up 7-0. It was Boone’s first home run of the season and the fourth of her career.

Oklahoma got another emotional lift from the return of catcher Kinzie Hansen. Coming off an injury, Hansen got her first action of the season when she stepped in to pinch-hit for Brito in the fourth inning. Hansen came through in the moment with an opposite field RBI double that made it 8-0.

Boone finished with two hits and three RBIs, and Nugent was 1-for-1 with a walk and three RBIs.

Storako (3-0) was good over four innings, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out four of the 16 batters she faced. Jordy Bahl closed by pitching the fifth inning.

The Sooners immediately return to play with a 5 p.m. scheduled game against Texas A&M.