Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Erase Early Deficit to Down Iowa State Cyclones
NORMAN — Oklahoma opened the weekend with a win, but it was far from straightforward.
Patty Gasso’s No. 1-ranked Sooners took Game 1 of Friday’s double-header against the Iowa State Cyclones 6-4 at Marita Hynes Field behind an up-and-down third inning.
Already up 1-0 courtesy of a second inning RBI single from Jana Johns, OU (40-1) faced some adversity to start the third frame.
True freshman pitcher Jordy Bahl surrendered a lead-off single to the Cyclones (21-22), and small ball from the visitors immediately advanced the runner to second base.
Bahl then hit Iowa State left fielder Carli Spelhaug, adding some extra traffic on the base paths to clean up.
The Cyclones cashed in off the Bahl mistake, however, as designated player Mikayla Ramos doubled off the outfield wall in center field to level the contest.
Two batters later, Iowa State would take the lead.
Milaysia Ochoa turned on Bahl’s 3-1 offering, just keeping the ball fair up the left field line for a bases-clearing double to put the visitors up 3-1.
But Oklahoma’s explosive offense immediately erased the deficit.
With Jayda Coleman and Jocelyn Alo already on base and just one out, Tiare Jennings cut the deficit to one with an RBI single.
Jennings then stole second, putting more pressure on Iowa State’s defense before Grace Lyons drove in Alo with a single through the gap into right field.
OU catcher Kinzie Hansen grounded out, but savvy base running by Jennings saw the Sooner second baseman beat out a throw to home to put her team up 4-1.
Johns then returned to further torment the Cyclones, launching a two-run blast to right field to cap off the five-run inning for Oklahoma.
Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners
Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners
Ryan Chapman / SI Sooners
After the tumultuous third inning, Bahl returned to the circle and settled back down.
Bahl breezed through the fourth and the fifth inning, though she was on the hook for the lone Iowa State run in the sixth inning as Ochoa drew a leadoff walk and came around to score.
Nicole May replaced Bahl in the sixth inning, just giving up the one RBI single which cut the Sooner lead to 6-4.
In the victory, Coleman went 1-for-2 with a walk to extended her 25-game streak of reaching base safely.
The Sooner center fielder also made her presence felt in the field, playing a ball off the wall and throwing out a Cyclone runner in the sixth inning before laying out for an impressive diving grab in the top of the seventh.
Bahl struck out seven batters in her 5 1/3 innings of work, allowing four hits and issuing two walks. May faced five batters and logged one inning of work, allowing a walk and a hit across the five batters she faced.
Hope Trautwein took over with one out in the top of the seventh to close out the victory for Oklahoma.
The Sooners and the Cyclones have a quick turnaround, as they’ll finish off a double-header Friday night at Marita Hynes Field before capping off the three-game series on Saturday.
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