Oklahoma dominates in El Paso, 70-2
EL PASO, TX — This is what having no games for almost a year can do to a team with talent and desire. Oklahoma has emerged from softball quarantine hungry — starved, like a caged animal.
In its four games at the Miner Invitational, OU outscored the opposition 70-2.
After scattering just three hits across two shutouts in Thursday’s opening doubleheader, OU on Friday shut out Abilene Christian again — another run-rule victory, 11-0 this time — and nearly capped it off with a no-hitter.
The No. 4-ranked Sooners added a 21-2 victory over UTEP in the nightcap to improve to 4-0 so far on the season.
In Friday’s opener, senior Gisele Juarez pitched three scoreless innings and struck out five, and Macy McAdoo was perfect in the fourth. Alanna Thiede finished the fifth inning and gave up a two-out single.
South Carolina transfer Jana Johns hit two home runs, and freshman Tiare Jennings and junior Grace Lyons each hit their fifth home run of the season against the Wildcats.
In the rematch with UTEP, OU hit four more home runs, including three during an 8-run fourth inning from Jocelyn Alo, Grace Lyons and Kinzie Hansen.
OU pitchers finally got scored on when Nicole May gave up two singles to start the second inning, and both scored on an RBI single by Karina Somoza.
The Sooners, already leading 14-2, stroked seven consecutive hits in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 21-2. They finished the final game with 23 hits.
Jennings ended the second game with three hits — she’s now 12-for-13 on the season, with five home runs — and Lyons and Hansen each went 3-for-5. Hansen drove in five runs, and Alo batted in four.
Against the Miners on Thursday, OU hit an NCAA record 13 home runs — and set another record by hitting five homers in an inning twice — and routed the Miners 29-0.
The Sooners are back in action next Friday with a doubleheader at Sam Houston State. OU plays UTEP at 11 a.m. and Sam Houston State at 4 p.m. before another doubleheader Saturday at Houston.