Oklahoma Softball: Alo Hits Home Run No. 100 in OU's 20-0 Beatdown of Iowa

Lynssie Elam launched three bombs and Jordy Bahl pitched a no-hitter in OU's dominant victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma completed its perfect weekend at the Hall of Fame Classic on Sunday.

The No. 1-ranked Sooners (25-0) run ruled the Iowa Hawkeyes 20-0 in Oklahoma City, notching their fifth run rule victory of the weekend.

Oklahoma treated the fans who made the trip up on Sunday to a show as Jordy Bahl pitched the team’s fifth no-hitter, Jocelyn Alo hit career home run No. 100 in the contest and Lynnsie Elam launched three home runs against the Hawkeyes.

“Overall, just really happy with our performance and just absolutely thrilled by the amount of people that are coming out and watching this team play,” Gasso said after the game. “… So I’m really proud of our fans and so appreciative of what they did.“

As they’ve done all year long, Patty Gasso’s team jumped on the Hawkeyes (16-10) early.

Alo scored the first run of the day on an Iowa throwing error, and then catcher Lynnsie Elam continued her hot weekend.

The redshirt senior crushed a three-run homer to plate Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman, putting OU in front 4-0 at the end of the first.

In total, the Sooners have outscored their opponents 62-0 in first innings this year.

Jennings added to the lead in the second inning with an RBI double, and then Elam struck again.

The Chickasha, OK, product hit a towering bomb that just stayed right of the foul pole in left field, her second three-run blast of the afternoon to give OU an 8-0 advantage.

Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners

After the game, Elam said the team is focused on just getting better each day, but it was impossible not to feel the energy in the stadium to help lift the Sooners to a big showing for the weekend.

Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners

“It’s always so much fun to play in in front of such a large crowd, and again thank you so much to the fans,” Elam said. “We’re so appreciative of them coming out all three days. 

Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners

"And just feeding off the team, feeding off the crowd and the process going into the game, I think was super important for everybody.”

The carnage then spilled over into the bottom fo the third inning.

Alo loaded the bases up with no outs after Iowa was unable to throw out the lead runner Rylie Boone on a fielder’s choice, and then Hawkeye pitcher Denali Loecker walked Jennings to bring a run home.

Kinzie Hansen then reached base on a fielder’s choice as Snow beat out the throw home to push the lead to 10-0. Another run scored when Elam drew a walk, setting the table for Alyssa Brito to clear the bases with a one-out double.

Two batters later, Boone drove Brito home to complete the seven-run inning, putting the Sooners up 15-0.

Alo cracked the century mark in the bottom of the fourth inning. Leading off the frame, the OU slugger hit a rope to dead center, earning a standing ovation from the home crowd for reaching the new career home run benchmark.

The OU star hit four home runs over the five games this weekend, a return to her dominant ways as all five teams pitched to her at the Hall of Fame Classic.

“It definitely feels nice,” Alo said. “But like I said, I’m just gonna go up every at-bat just ready to hit the ball hard.

“… So I mean, I guess 100 is pretty nice, but (I’m) just continuing to stay within the process and continue to go up from here.”

Grace Lyons got in on the fun a couple of batters later, hitting a two-run bomb before Elam smacked her third home run of the game to give her team the 19-0 lead. 

Grace Lyons

Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners

In the ensuing at-bat, Brito went back-to-back with Elam as she turned on the second pitch she saw and rocketed it over the fence in center field. The 20-run outing represents the biggest scoring output for the Sooners this year, topping their 15-run performances against McNeese State and Houston.

Bahl was unfazed by all the time she spent in the dugout watching the offense go to work.

The true freshman pitched all five innings and struck out eight batters while only surrendering two walks en route to her second no-hitter of the year.

“What she’s done so far is fantastic,” Gasso said of Bahl’s performance. “… Everything about her is organized and focused. She is going to lead us into the Big 12. We know that. But she can’t do it herself.

“Everything is going to be amped up from this moment on, and I’m really excited to see what this pitching staff does with it.”

The three-home run day capped off an incredibly productive weekend for Elam in the batter’s box. In total, Elam went 5-for-9 with four home runs, and she was responsible 12 RBIs over the five-game set. Elam also walked three times and reached base after she was hit with a pitch at the Hall of Fame Classic.

Elam became the fifth Sooner in program history to hit three home runs in a single game. 

Now, the Sooners will gear up to hit the road for a highly-anticipated SEC battle.

Oklahoma heads to Lexington to face off against the No. 8-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.

First pitch between the Sooners and the Wildcats is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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