Softball Live Blog: Oklahoma Faces Seattle, Loyola Marymount at Mary Nutter Finale

After starting 3-0 against Mississippi State, Wisconsin and San Diego State, Patty Gasso's No. 1-ranked Sooners take on Redhawks and Lions on Sunday in Palm Springs.

John Hoover offers his real-time observations as the No. 1-ranked Sooners continue their weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, CA, with a pair of Sunday games against Seattle and Loyola Marymount. Just keep the browser open and refresh often for Hoover's updates throughout today's contest.

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3:09 p.m.

Here's our game story from OU's 9-0 run rule over LMU. Thanks for following along today!

2:54 p.m.

On to the bottom of the seventh. OU, up 9-0, is three outs from its 67th win in a row. Kelly Maxwell will pitch the fifth for OU.

Hang with AllSooners and look for my full game report in a few minutes. If you can't find it right away, click on the softball link at the top of the page.

2:50 p.m.

It’s 9-0 now as Alynah Torres follows Jayda Coleman’s leadoff walk with a titanic two-run blast to left.

Run rule territory.

2:42 p.m.

May strikes out the side in the top of the fifth — with authority. Her control is pinpoint right now. Wherever Kinzie Hansen puts that blue tape, she’s hitting the mark. Love watching her work.

That’s eight strikeouts for the California senior in what Chris Plank points out is probably her final college game in her home state.

2:29 p.m.

Pickering knocks a single into right center, then swipes second base on a ball in the dirty. 

That's followed by a two-run home run by Alyssa Brito, and it's 7-0 Oklahoma.

2:27 p.m.

Parker smashes a one-hopper past the pitcher, but the LMU shortstop is behind the bag and it's a convenient double play. Nice defense by the Lions infield there.

Pickering coming to the plate.

2:25 p.m.

Rylie Boone gets it started again, laying down a perfect bunt that stays fair at the plate. Put that one on the instructional video.

2:24 p.m.

Nicole May is dialed in now. Twelve pitches to get three up, three down and the Sooners are coming to the plate in the fourth inning. Still 5-0.

2:17 p.m.

Coleman, Torres and Hodge all ground out and the Sooners go quietly in the top of the third.

2:01 p.m.

Brito flares a single to left to put runners at first and second with two out. That’s already OU’s fifth hit of the day.

Jennings then rips a double down the left field line to score Pickering and Brito to make it 5-0. Jennings, who took third on the throw home, is now batting .447 on the season.

Feels like this one may be on the verge of a big blowout.

1:59 p.m.

Boone scores on Kasidi Pickering’s RBI single to center field and the Sooners lead it 3-0.

Pickering and Parker are just incredible hitters for being true freshmen.

Pitching change coming for LMU.

1:54 p.m.

Rylie Boone with the RBI double to score Hodge, who drew a walk. Sooners lead it 2-0. Boone remains engulfed in flames, now batting .400 on the season.

1:47 p.m.

Nicole May gets out of trouble with a strikeout and a pair of groundouts (to herself).

Jayda Coleman then leads off the top of the second with her first home run of the season to center field. Coleman is batting seventh this game.

Remember her power surge last year (17 homers)? She hit her first one of the 2023 season here at the Mary Nutter.

Chris Plank says last year's came in game 13 against LMU. This year's comes in game 14 against LMU.

Softball synchronicity.

1:44 p.m.

A ground ball off Avery Hodge's glove at second base puts runners at the corners for LMU.

(I apparently continue to have trouble typing L-O-Y-O-L-A, so I'm gonna go with LMU for the rest of the day.)

1:43 p.m.

May opens by walking Avery Francis. May has struggled a bit to dial in her control, and that has continued early today.

1:41 p.m.

Forgot to post the lineups. Nicole May in the circle to open the game, although Gasso said in the pregame that she'd like to get some work for Kelly Maxwell too,.

1:39 p.m.

Tiare Jennings draws a walk to load, bringing up Kinzie Hansen, who didn't play in the opener against Seattle.

Hansen flies out to leave the bases loaded. That's one of the elements of this game that really grinds Patty Gasso's gears.

1:31 p.m.

Oklahoma is the visiting team against Loyola Marymount and the Sooners have started quickly.

Rylie Boone, batting leadoff, flies out, and hot-hitting Ella Parker doubles to left. Kasidi Pickering grounds out for the second out, and Alyssa Brito draws a four-pitch walk.

Here we go.

1:26 p.m.

We're just a few minutes away from first pitch between Oklahoma and Loyola Marymount. Coaches are at home plate exchanging the lineups.

This is your source to keep up with both games, so keep it here throughout game two and refresh often.

1:00 p.m.

Clutch hitting by Avery Hodge, first with the sacrifice bunt to end the game (the umpire ruled that she stepped out of the batter's box) then with the sacrifice fly to end the game (the Seattle outfielder's throw home wasn't in time to get Maya Bland.

Bland had a nice appearance, too, drawing a walk, advancing and then using her speed to get home with the run rule decider that ends it at 8-0.

Oklahoma wins its 66th in a row, and the Sooners are on to Loyola Marymount.

You can read my final buzzer game story here.

12:50 p.m.

Naturally, Boone keeps the rally alive by beating out an infield single back to the pitcher. Man, she's just such an instigator.

12:47 p.m.

Freshman Maya Bland is at the plate for OU to start the sixth inning. It's just the second plate appearance for her this season.

Bland draws the walk, and Rylie Boone is back at the plate.

12:46 p.m.

Paytn Monticelli mows down the Redhawks, striking out the side in the sixth, and flashes some emotion after the third strikeout. All three swinging. That’s 8 Ks for OU pitchers. Impressive performance in relief. 

12:39 p.m.

Avery Hodge steps in at shortstop for Oklahoma. It's the first time this season anyone but Tiare Jennings has played short.

Jennings has been fantastic early this year as she fills Grace Lyons' impossible shoes.

12:37 p.m.

OU fans wanted a run-rule, but Patty Gasso isn’t in any hurry. Hannah Coor drew a walk after Parker’s homer, Cydney Sanders popped up and Quincee Lilio struck out swinging.

It’s 7-0 headed to the sixth.

12:30 p.m.

Ella Parker did it again.

The freshman smashes her second home run of the day, a three-run blast to right field that puts Oklahoma on top 7-0 and most likely locks up consecutive win No. 66.

Parker is must-see TV, and she'll be making her home debut next weekend at Love's Field.

12:24 p.m.

Boone slides home safely to make it 4-0 as Alyssa Brito delivers a one-hop single to right field. As I thought, the OU bats are coming to life.

12:23 p.m.

Riley Boone tattoos a ball off the top of the fence in right center and the Sooners' spark plug is on second base.

12:21 p.m.

Nice work by Paytn Monticelli to come in and get OU out of minor trouble. She showed power and good control and looked like the perfect change-of-pace from Keeney.

Sooners lead it 3-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

12:15 p.m.

A visit to the mound by Jen Rocha. Ludlam and Keeney seem to be getting instruction from Rocha. 

Turns out it was all for a pitching change. Here comes Paytn Monticelli to make her sixth appearance of the season. 

12:06 p.m.

After the Parker home run, Kasidi Pickering singled and pinch-runner Hanna Coor motored around the bases, including tight slide under the tag at third. But Coleman flies out to end it.

The Sooner bats definitely seem to be coming to life after another slow start.

11:58 a.m.

It’s a two-run home run from Ella Parker to straightaway center, her second career home run and gives the Sooners a 3-0 lead. What a bomb.

11:49 a.m.

Morris led off the inning with a single off Keeney and she took third on a single by Fitch to right field, but Boone’s throw into the infield was relayed home to Ludlam, who laid an easy tag on Morris.

Gotta credit Seattle with being aggressive, and also credit OU for playing with precision on defense. The Sooners were No. 6 in the nation in defensive fielding percentage coming into the weekend.

Coleman ends the inning with, what else, a spectacular diving catch.

11:40 a.m.

Jayda Coleman grounds out, Rylie Boone flies out to left and Brito grounds out. Another quiet inning for the OU lineup.

Sooners lead 1-0 heading to the fourth.

11:36 a.m.

Keeney reacts pretty well. She catches Wilson looking at strike three on the outside part of the plate and the inning is over.

11:35 a.m.

A single and a walk and the Redhawks have something going with runners at first and second. Will be interesting to see how Keeney reacts to a tense situation.

11:27 a.m.

Torres nearly drops one down the line, but the Seattle first baseman makes a diving catch to end the inning. 

On to the third.

11:25 a.m.

Pickering draws a one-out walk but Sanders pops up to short. Two down as Alynah Torres comes to the plate.

11:20 a.m.

Riley Ludlam just mashed her first home run as a Sooner, a 1-1 pitch that she took deep over the wall in left-center field.

Sooners lead 1-0.

11:16 a.m.

Jayda Coleman tracks down a ball that was hit over her head and easily throws out the runner at second base. Not sure where she thought she was going against Coleman and that golden arm. There can’t be a better center fielder in America.

11:11 a.m.

Sooners' Coleman, Brito and Jennings go quickly and quietly (Boone walked in the 2-hole) and we're off to the second inning.

11:09 a.m.

Plank not the only one having technical difficulties this morning. I'm on the struggle bus here, too.

Karlie Keeney very sharp in a 1-2-3 first inning and the Sooners are at bat.

Stay tuned....

10:57 a.m.

Here are today's starting lineups for game one. Karlie Keeney takes the circle for Oklahoma.

10:55 a.m.

Chris Plank tells us the team is late to arrive to the field from batting practice because they "caught a little traffic."

Traffic in Southern California? Who could have predicted such a thing?

10:48 a.m.

And we're back online for the final day of action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic as No. 1-ranked Oklahoma finishes with a rare Sunday doubleheader. After handling No. 25 Mississippi State, Wisconsin and San Diego State, the Sooners face the Seattle Redhawks and the Loyola Marymount Lions.

First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT (9 a.m. Pacific).

I'm on the blog again today as Ryan returns from his trip. Hope you guys enjoy our coverage!  

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