Oklahoma win streak reaches 37 with victory over Louisiana Tech
RUSTON, LA — Thirty.
No. 1-ranked Oklahoma reached a milestone on Saturday with its 30th consecutive victory to open the season with a 10-0 victory over Louisiana Tech.
Jana Johns hit a three-run home run, Kinzie Hansen smacked two doubles and three OU pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout as the Sooners roared to another run-rule victory.
In addition to the 30-0 start, it was OU’s 37th win in a row and the Sooners’ 50th straight regular-season victory.
The all-time record for consecutive wins belongs to Arizona, which won 47 in a row in 1996 and ’97. OU’s 2019 run of 41 straight stands second in NCAA history.
The Sooners’ three wins over Team Mexico on March 19-21 were only an exhibition don’t count towards OU’s official school or NCAA marks.
Earlier in the day on Saturday, Oklahoma defeated Mississippi State 9-0. The games at Louisiana Tech’s home field were arranged midweek when the Sooners had a road trip to Wichita State postponed by inclement weather and a Big 12 series at Baylor postponed by COVID-19 protocols in Waco.
Nicole May (10-0) threw 3 1/3 innings and only allowed one hit. She struck out seven, issued no walks and only faced 11 batters.
Olivia Raines and Brooke Vestal pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and didn’t allow a baserunner.
OU scored six times in the third and four in the fifth.
Hansen’s double scored Tiare Jennings, Grace Green’s sacrifice fly scored Hansen, and the Sooners scored four other runs on two La Tech errors and a passed ball.
In the fifth, Johns hammered a three-run blast down the right field line to bring home Jayda Coleman and Nicole Mendes, and another RBI double by Hansen brought home Taylon Snow.
OU isn't scheduled to play again until next Friday when the Sooners open a three-game series against Texas in Norman. But with one more victory, OU’s winning streak will reach 38 and tie South Carolina for the third longest ever.
The NCAA record for most consecutive wins to start a season is 35, set in 1993 by Canisius and tied in 2017 by Oregon.