Senior southpaw Giselle Juarez shut down unseeded Georgia with 10 strikeouts and Oklahoma clouted a trio of 2-run home runs

With southpaw senior Giselle Juarez back in the circle, it was no problem for top-seeded Oklahoma to survive game one in the loser’s bracket Saturday morning and a date with 2nd-seeded UCLA at night.

Juarez hadn’t worked in awhile, but head coach Patty Gasso put her out there she responded with a masterful effort, striking out 10, giving up only three hits, and the Sooner bats clouted a trio of 2-run home runs in the run-rule 8-0 victory that went six innings and eliminated unseeded Georgia,

It was again a huge turnout at Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame Stadium, with an announced attendance of 13,023.

And it was a big day for the usual Oklahoma fans at the ballpark only 30 miles south of their Norman campus. Juarez gave way to freshman righty Nicole May with one down in the sixth and she set the Bulldogs down in order.

It was the Sooners at their long-ball hitting best, smart base running, and quality fielding.

They have now belted the most home runs, with 150 going out of the park this season. The first came in the top of the second off the bat of freshman MacKenzie Donihoo, who was back in left field after not starting the last two games. This came after freshman Jayda Coleman reached on a force out.

In the fourth, they tallied once when Donihoo singled up the middle to score freshman Tiare Jennings. In the fifth, sophomore Kinzee Hanson hit a two-run shot over the fence in left with junior Grace Lyons on base.

Then came a monster 2-run shot deep in center field by junior Jocely Alo, her school-record 31st and most in the land after she was named Player of the Year on Tuesday. It scored Coleman again.

That brought up the run-rule, and the Sooners accomplished it for the 23rd time this season.

Senior Mary Wilson Avent started for the Dawgs and went six innings. She was reached for seven hits, struck out four and walked one.

Donihoo, only 5-foot-3 and a good fielder, went 3-for-3 with four RBI. Senior Nicole Mendes also batted in a run and scored twice.

Now it’s game two later today against UCLA, which is coming off a perfect game pitched by Alabama’s Madison Fouts on Friday. Fouts was superb, striking out 14 to give her 31 in her two starts.

In the other loser’s bracket contest, it will be 5th-seeded Oklahoma State facing the winner of the Arizona-Florida State, in the elimination game.

Unseeded James Madison and Alabama are 2-0 and on top of the heap.