OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL IN PLAY

In what was its season opener, the Oklahoma University’s softball team responded quickly after being guaranteed from the coronavirus pandemic. It was an impressive start for a program coached by Patty Grasso and in quest of its fifth NCAA championship.

Responded sounds good, but starting out and answering by piling it on like this doesn’t need much of an introduction. It all occurred on day at Texas El Paso’s House of Troy Field Thursday as the Sooners bombarded the home side with a 29-0 mercy-rule five innings setback that included an NCAA record 13 home runs.

It was the start of a a long wait before the new campaign and Oklahoma was more than ready. Senior Grace Lyons and freshman Tiari Jennings each sent three home runs over the fence, sophomores Kinzie Hansen and freshman Jayden Coleman drove two more out, and seniors Jocelyn Alo and Nicole Mendes, and senior Taylon Snow added one each.

Four were hit in the top of the 13-run first, three in the 5-run second, three in the 6-run third, two in the 2-run fourth and one in the 3-run fifth. it could been worse if not for the 10-run mercy that shut things down after five frames. Senior southpaw Geselle Juarez pitched the first three innings and right-handed freshman Olivia Rains finished up, allowing two hits between them and combining for eight strikeouts,

That was in the morning. In the afternoon, the 4th-ranked Sooners, coming off a 24-4 season that was cut short by the COPID-19 threat, shut down Abilene Christian, 9-0, with Alo driving a pair of home runs out into the huge ice-covered snow that covered center field. Junior Grace Green belted a pair of home runs, Mendes contributed two triples to drive in runs, and Snow, yes more Snow, batted in two runs and singled home two more. Yes, this, too, was called after five innings.

Staring in the circle in game two was senor righty Shannon Saile and sophomore righthander Macy Mcadoo worked the last two frames, with victory going to Saille. They combined to hold UTEP to four hits and whiffed four each.

Then came Saturday and again the Sooners brought the big bats as they pounded Abilene Christian,18-0 in the morning and went on to blank Texas El Paso, 21-2 in the afternoon, with five homers leaving the park in the opener and seven in the closer. Four came from Alo, three from Mendes, two each from Hansen and yes, Snow, and two from freshman Mackensie Dinihoo.

Game one was added to the mercy-run rule, while game two was also called after five. Oklahoma went with five hurlers in the opener, with starting righthander Brook Vestol getting the win, and six in the closer, with the triumph going to the starter, lefthanded freshman Nicole May.

The grand total came to 72 runs for and only two against for the Sooners.

Next Friday, the Sooners head again to the Lone Star State, playing UTEP in the morning opener, and Sam Houston State in the afternoon closer. Saturday, it’s a pair of doubleheaders both versus Sam Houston State.