OU Softball: Oklahoma Rolls Houston, Notches Series Win

Kinzie Hansen and Kasidi Pickering combined for five RBIs as Oklahoma throttled Houston to clinch another Big 12 series win on Saturday.

NORMAN — Oklahoma clinched another Big 12 series win in style on Saturday. 

The No. 2-ranked Sooners shelled Houston’s pitching staff, rolling to a 10-2 victory over the Cougars in five innings at Love’s Field. 

Kinzie Hansen bashed another trio of RBIs to help lift OU to 41-4 on the year and 17-3 in the Big 12, while Houston fell to 23-22 overall and 3-17 in league action. 

 "I felt really good tonight," OU coach Patty Gasso said after the win. "I felt the energy. I felt the attack early. We are starting to roll in that direction."

Oklahoma immediately put Houston under pressure in the first inning. 

Ella Parker and Tiare Jennings stacked back-to-back singles, allowing Alyssa Brito to load the bases with a no-out walk. 

Final Box Score

undefined

Alynah Torres then bounced into a fielder’s choice, but Hansen broke the deadlock with an RBI-single. 

Outfielder Kasidi Pickering brought another two Sooners home with a double, and later scored on a fielding error at the plate to give OU a 4-0 lead headed into the second. 

In the second the Sooners couldn’t convert Brito’s two-out triple into another run, but the Cougars couldn’t keep OU off the board in the third. 

Hansen’s single turned into a run with a Pickering triple, and then Avery Hodge bounced one through the left side to plate Pickering and extend the lead to 6-0.

WATCH: Oklahoma Softball's Postgame Press Conference

The Sooners weren’t done, however. 

Quincee Lilio walked and Rylie Boone, who started in center field to give Jayda Coleman a day off, singled to load the bases for Parker. 

Parker walked to push OU’s advantage to 7-0, then Houston reliever Taylor Edwards cost the Cougars a run. 

The ball slipped out of Edwards’ hand in the middle of her pitching motion, rolling backwards toward second base to allow Lilio to score. 

Jennings’ sacrifice fly brought Boone home, and a fielding error by Edwards loaded the bases and ended her outing. 

Gasso didn't have to think twice about giving Coleman the day off to feel 100 percent moving forward. Seven different Sooners registered hits, and Brito, Hansen, Pickering and Boone all ended the night with multiple hits.

"It really doesn't matter who it is," Gasso said. "I could take — and I tell them this out loud — I'll take any of you out of this lineup and we're still gonna win, so know that. And it's not a threat, it's just the truth and that's having a good team with some good players that are sitting on the bench waiting for an opportunity."

Hansen added to the damage by hitting into a fielder’s choice, but Hodge flew out to end the inning with OU up 10-0.

Nicole May’s no-hitter bid got broken up in the fourth inning, and Jazmyn Rollin got a pair of runs back for the Cougars. 

She demolished May’s delivery, sending the ball to the concourse in center field, and punctuated the swing with an emphatic bat flip.

Rollin’s homer was the only blip for May. 

She pitched 4 1/3 innings, striking out four Cougar batters while allowing three hits and a pair of walks. 

Paytn Monticelli closed out the contest in the circle, though the Sooners were denied a dramatic finish.

Initially, left fielder Hannah Coor was ruled to have successfully made a diving catch to deny Houston's Katy Repa, and Coor made a throw from her knees to double off the runner at first and end the game.

After a challenge, the play was overturned as the ball bounced into Coor's glove to put runners back on first and second with one out.

In the return to action, Monticelli walked Zaquai Dumas, loading the bases as Houston's lineup turned over.

Monticelli worked around the adversity, however, inducing a pair of ground balls that OU's defense took care of to close out the win.

With just seven Big 12 contests left on the schedule, May is pleased with how the team has honed its focus at practice over the past few weeks.

 "We’re just trying to take it one game at a time, one day at a time," she said. "I think that’s just kind of been my mindset. Just going for it ."

Oklahoma and Houston will close out the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Love’s Field, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.