Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Show no Signs of Slump, Run Rule Wichita State 10-1
NORMAN — Oklahoma notched its second straight walk-off win, but under very difference circumstances on Tuesday night.
After late-game heroics lifted OU past the Baylor Bears on Sunday, the No. 1-ranked Sooners got a game-ending home run from Grace Lyons to run rule the Wichita State Shockers at Marita Hynes Field.
Lyons launched three home runs in the 10-1 win, and the victory was the 25th run-rule win of the season for Oklahoma (30-0) as the Sooners battled gusting winds to overpower the Shockers (17-10).
Patty Gasso’s offense shook off any suggestions of a slump, registering 10 hits as the bats got back on track against a dangerous Wichita State team.
But the Sooners again fell behind first.
Sydney McKinney, the nation’s leader in batting average, led off the game with a single in the top of the first inning for the Shockers before a couple of errors allowed her to score.
First, OU catcher Kinzie Hansen was unable to wrangle in a pitch from Jordy Bahl, allowing McKinney to take second base.
Bahl then fired back by striking out two straight Wichita State batters before a throwing error would allow McKinney to score.
Lyons successfully fielded Neleigh Herring’s hard-hit ball, but the Sooner shortstop threw the ball into the dirt, and first baseman Lynssie Elam was unable to snag the throw. McKinney came home safely, putting the Shockers up 1-0 headed into the bottom of the first.
“I felt like we started slow,” Gasso said after the game. “So I wasn’t really happy with that.
“… So we are continuing to work to improve what we know we have to do,”
The Shocker lead didn’t last long, as the Sooners quickly got back rolling
Tiare Jennings, who homered to win Sunday’s conference game against Baylor, picked up right where she left off, poking a two-strike offering over the wall in right field. Making amends for her error in the field, Lyons followed up Jennings’ bomb with a solo home run of her own two batters later to put OU back up 2-1 by the end of the inning.
Oklahoma’s offense immediately took the pressure back off of Bahl, who was able to retake the mound with the lead.
“It gives me a lot of comfort and makes my job a lot easier,” Bahl said of OU’s offense after the game. “… We got down one right away and leadoff batter Tiare just cancels it… It’s nice.”
OU took a short reprieve before dealing more damage in the bottom of the third.
With Taylon Snow and Jayda Coleman already on base, Kinzie Hansen flied out to center field, but pushed the ball far enough for Snow to tag up and score.
Rylie Boone then walked, clearing the path for Jennings to drive in her second and third RBIs of the evening with a two-out double.
Jocelyn Alo and Jennings traded places when the NCAA career home run leader hit an RBI double of her own, and then Lyons launched her second homer of the day to cap off the six-run inning and put the Sooners up 8-1.
Lyons said after the game she wasn’t worried about getting the offense going after the Baylor game or anything like that, and she was just focused on the task at hand.
“I’m just going up swinging,” Lyons said. “I’m just happy for our team for looking at last game and making adjustments.”
The Sooner shortstop put the cherry on top of her dominant showing with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the contest.
“When I first recruited her she was, in my mind, the best defensive shortstop in the country,” Gasso said. “She was a good hitter, but I thought she might be a lower in the lineup kind of hitter.
“She has really put her work in… She puts in the time which is very very important for us, and it’s paid off for us and her.”
The win extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 32 games.
Despite opening Big 12 play last weekend, the Sooners return to non-conference action this weekend.
Oklahoma will welcome the UAB Blazers to Marita Hynes Field for a two-game set on Friday and Saturday. First pitch between the Sooners and the Blazers Friday night is scheduled for 6:30.
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