OU Softball: Oklahoma Walks Off Miami (OH) in Dramatic Love's Field Opener
NORMAN — Kinzie Hansen closed Marita Hynes Field in style.
She blasted a home run to extend Oklahoma’s winning streak last year, playing the hero against Clemson in Super Regional play to send OU to the Women’s College World Series.
In the first game ever at Love’s Field, the Sooners’ new softball palace, she delivered again with a walk-off home run that powered OU to a 9-7 win in the home and stadium opener.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hansen basically called game.
Though crucial, her game-changing homer against Clemson wasn’t a walk-off. Friday, it was.
Oklahoma entered the final inning in complete control, having rallied from a three-run deficit to lead 7-3. But then pitcher Karlie Keeney surrendered back-to-back-to-back home runs to the nation’s leader in long balls, the Miami (OH) Redhawks, to tie the game and bring OU’s bats to the plate.
As they’ve done so many times, the Sooners delivered.
Rylie Boone’s leadoff single proved to be overkill, as Hansen smashed a no-doubter to walk off the Redhawks.
Oklahoma’s 9-7 win not only was a dramatic way to open the new stadium, but it extended the longest winning streak in college softball history to 68 games.
Oklahoma moved to 15-0 on the year with the win, dropping Miami to 9-3 in the process.
If Friday was supposed to be a day-long celebration of Love’s Field, nobody told the Redhawks.
Senior right hander Nicole May issued a leadoff walk to Allie Cummings, and Miami made her pay.
Two batters later, Karlie Spaid made history.
The Redhawk third baseman launched the first pitch she saw into right-center field, smashing the first home run in stadium history to put the visitors up 2-0.
May’s nightmare continued in the ensuing at-bat.
First baseman Holly Blaska followed Spaid up with a solo shot, putting the Sooners in a 3-0 hole before they even stepped up to the plate.
In the bottom of the first inning, the rocky start appeared to be merely a blip.
Jayda Coleman doubled, Kasidi Pickering walked and Alyssa Brito reached with a single, loading the bases for Tiare Jennings with no outs.
Jennings was unable to make solid contact, however, popping up into foul territory.
But true freshman Ella Parker delivered.
She lasered a ball to the warning track in center field, scoring Coleman with a sacrifice fly. Boone then watched strike three buzz by her, ending the threat.
OU drew a pair of two-out walks in the second inning but couldn’t cut into the deficit, and Brito’s leadoff single in the third inning was wiped away when Jennings hit into a double play.
Boone returned to start a rally in the fourth.
She placed a bunt perfectly into play, hauling down to first base to give OU a leadoff baserunner and finally giving capacity crowd at Love’s Field something to cheer about.
Hansen’s double put runners at second and third, and Alynah Torres scored Boone by hitting back up the middle into a fielder’s choice.
With Hansen at third, Oklahoma couldn’t level the contest.
Cydney Sanders stuck out, and Coleman flew out to center to end the inning.
But that wasn’t the Sooners’ last gasp.
Brito hammered the second pitch she saw in the fifth inning, logging OU’s first home run in Love’s Field to tie the game at 3-3.
Keeney, who took over for May in the fourth inning and kept the Miami bats silent, allowing the Sooners to finally pull away in the sixth.
Hansen led the frame off with a walk, and quickly found herself on second thanks to an Avery Hodge bunt.
Ludlam then hit the go-ahead RBI on a sharp single up the middle, but the Sooners weren’t done.
Coleman blasted a two-run shot, and Pickering followed her with a no doubter of her own to put OU up 7-3.
In the seventh inning, Miami didn't go down without a fight.
Keeney surrendered her first runs of the year when Cummins uncorked a two-run shot, pulling the Redhawks within two, but that was just the beginning.
Jenna Golembiewski homered off Keeney, and then Spaid repeated her first inning heroics, tying the game with back-to-back-to-back blasts.
With the damage done, Gasso turned to lefty SJ Geurin, who closed out the top of the seventh and brought OU’s bats to the plate with a chance for a walk-off.
Hansen delivered, of course, helping out her pitching staff that struggled at times.
May finished the game allowing three runs, five walks and a hit batter in 3 2/3 innings while striking out six Redhawk batters.
Keeney took over for May in the fourth inning, and was excellent until the seventh. Keeney struck out a pair while allowing four hits and a walk. Geurin retired three of the four batters she faced, allowing just a single walk.
Brito ended the game 3-for-4 from the plate, and both Coleman and Hansen hit 2-for-3.
Oklahoma won’t have any time to celebrate, as the Sooners will immediately turn around and take on Liberty in the second half of the opening day doubleheader.
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