Isabela Emerling Blasts Three Home Runs in Oklahoma's Run-Rule Victory Over Montana

The Sooners hit eight home runs to quickly finish off the Grizzlies in the first of two games.

Oklahoma Sooners catcher Isabela Emerling (13) round the bases after a home run in the second inning against the Oregon Ducks during the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series at Devon Park. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Oklahoma's second weekend figured to be less stress-inducing than its first.

It certainly looks that way so far.

The fourth-ranked Sooners started off the weekend with their second run-rule of the season — an 17-0 win over Montana in the opener of the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, NM.

Oklahoma hit eight home runs in the win, including three from redshirt senior Isabela Emerling.

Ailana Agbayani, Sydney Barker, Kai Minor, Kendall Wells and Kasidi Pickering also homered.

Miali Guachino, who threw just 1 1/3 innings in last weekend's four games in Arizona, threw three perfect innings, striking out four during that stretch.

Guachino got all the run support she needed in the first, when Pickering drew a leadoff walk, moved moved to second on Gabbie Garcia's single and then to third on a wild pitch.

Pickering scored on Ella Parker's sacrifice fly to center.

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The Sooners then broke the game open in the second, with six runs thanks to three home runs.

Emerling got the scoring started with a line drive homer to left.

Lexi McDaniel followed with a single to left before advancing to second and third on a pair of wild pitches, then coming home on Barker's RBI single up the middle.

Pickering then delivered a towering two-run blast over the scoreboard in right-center field to extend OU's lead to 5-0.

After two outs, Parker's infield single set the stage for Wells' third home run of the season, this one a hard liner out to center.

Agbayani extended the Sooners' lead to 8-0 with a solo shot to right in the third on a 1-2 pitch. The home run was Agbayani's first of the season.

With Oklahoma up big, Patty Gasso brought on freshman Berkley Zache into the circle.

The Grizzlies loaded the bases with three singles and a walk, before Guachino returned to strike out Madison Tarrant to end the threat.

Emerling added a third homer in the fifth, a three-run shot.

The three-home run game was Emerling's first of her career, and her fourth multi-home run game. Emerling hit a pair of home runs once last season after transferring from North Carolina.

It was OU's first three-home run performance since Jocelyn Alo accomplished the feat against Texas Tech on April 8, 2022. It was the eighth three-home run performance in program history.

After McDaniel's single to left, Barker hammered her first home run of the season to center on an 0-1 pitch to make it 16-0.

The Sooners (4-1) have 23 home runs through five games.

The Sooners added an unearned run later in the inning on an error.

The Sooners' other run-rule victory came 21-3 at Arizona on Saturday. Both of Oklahoma's other wins on opening weekend were one-run victories.

Guachino hit a batter with one out in the fifth, the first runner she'd allowed on the day, then hit another with two outs before walking the bases loaded. She then got a fielder's choice to end the game.

The Sooners will take on New Mexico State at 2 p.m. in their second game of the day.