Oklahoma Softball: Jordy Bahl Silences Texas to Open Series With a Win
The No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners extended a couple of streaks on Thursday night.
Opening up their highly anticipated series against the No. 18-ranked Texas Longhorns in Austin, Patty Gasso’s Sooners took the first contest 3-0.
With the victory, OU (37-0) notched its 39th straight victory, and the Sooners extended their winning streak over the Longhorns (30-11-1) to 22 games.
Starting her first OU-Texas game, true freshman Jordy Bahl dominated in the pitching circle.
Taking the field in front of 1,498 fans, the second-highest attendance in Red and Charline McCombs Field history, the true freshman silenced the Texas lineup.
Bahl struck out 15 Longhorns on Thursday, allowing just four hits while surrendering one hit batter and a walk across seven shutout innings.
Bahl's excellence was needed as the Sooners mustered a season-low three hits.
The true freshman showed her fight in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Back-to-back hits from Janae Jefferson and Mia Scott put runners on second and third with no outs to start the inning, and brought catcher Mary Iakopo up to the plate.
Instead of putting another runner aboard, the Longhorns then struggled to even make contact.
Bahl battened down the hatches and struck out the side to get out of the jam and keep her shutout intact.
While Bahl cruised in the circle, her teammates backed her up with some efficient offense.
Tiare Jennings reached base on the first at-bat of the game after Texas third baseman Mia Scott let the ball dribble through her legs, and Oklahoma cashed in on the error.
OU catcher Kinzie Hansen grounded into a fielder’s choice, advancing Jennings to second base and setting the table for Grace Lyons to put the Sooners in front.
Lyons’ RBI single not only put Oklahoma up 1-0, but it extended her team-leading eight-game hitting streak.
Jayda Coleman doubled the Sooner lead in the first at-bat of the second inning when the sophomore smashed a ball off the top of the wall and over the fence in center field.
Texas pitcher Hailey Dolcini then steadied herself and retired 10 of the next 11 OU batters, with Hansen only reaching via a fielding error in her second at-bat of the game.
Oregon transfer Alyssa Brito busted up Dolcini’s groove in the fifth inning, however.
Brito turned on the second pitch she saw, smoking the ball to left field for Oklahoma’s second solo home run of the day to extend the lead to 3-0.
Despite putting the three runs on the board, OU only registered three total hits in the win and was outhit by the Longhorns 4-3.
The Sooners and the Longhorns meet again in Game 2 of the series on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Austin. Game 2 of OU-Texas will also be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.
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