Oklahoma Run Rules UAPB, Ties Home Run Record to Close Non-Conference Schedule

NORMAN — Patty Gasso’s lineup took on a different look Tuesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Kasidi Pickering, Gabbie Garcia, Abby Dayton and Ella Parker were all out of the starting lineup.

Kendall Wells was slotted in at designated player instead of behind the plate.

It didn’t stop the top-ranked Sooners from rolling, as they beat the Golden Lions 9-0 in five innings, tying the NCAA record for home runs in a season and getting a combined no-hitter to close their non-conference slate.

Pickering had started 46 of the Sooners’ first 47 games, but has now missed the last two after going 2 for 20 at the plate in her previous six games.

“I think sometimes there are players like Pick — she was just a phenomenal freshman phenomenal sophomore, (that say) ‘What else can I do to be better than what I’ve done,’” Gasso said. “Maybe there’s some pressing and softball doesn’t become as fun anymore, because it’s pressing and you go home and you think about it. ‘What do I need to do?’ and ‘How do I need to be different?’ It just means she cares about it a lot so it’s just giving her a breather and take pressure off herself and just get her to a place where she’s hungry to want to get after it again.

“Not that she isn’t right now, I just think there’s a little bit of healing time we need right now and that’s important.”

The lineup of four freshmen and three sophomores responded, with freshman Allyssa Parker and Lexi McDaniel hitting back-to-back home runs to lead off the second to give Oklahoma 160 home runs on the season and move them one behind the NCAA and program record set by the 2021 Sooners.

Chaney Helton, one of the youngsters in the lineup, nearly hit the record-tying home run later in the inning, instead settling for a long RBI single to center.

Kai Minor went 0 for 2 but drove in a pair of runs, the first on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 in the second.

The Sooners then added five more in the fourth, with another sacrifice fly from Minor making it 5-0 before Ella Parker’s pinch-hit RBI single up the middle made it 6-0.

Then Isabela Emerling, one of two seniors in the lineup, bashed a two-run home run to left field to make it 8-0 and tie the record.

The crowd of 3,784 cheered even louder when the record was announced.

“I do care,” Gasso said of the records. “But at the same time, I care more, right now, I have to care more about long term.”

Emerling has now homered in four consecutive games.

That long-term plan is what kept Wells, who came in tied with Jocelyn Alo for the program record for home runs in a season, from behind the plate and led to Gasso pinch-hitting for her in the fourth.

“Have to get her off her feet,” Gasso said. “Same thing with Gabbie. She has been running low with energy for a bit. I could see that.”

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Gasso also gave Ailana Agbayani a rest late in the game, moving Allyssa Parker to second, and giving Dayton some late play at third base while Sydney Barker manned shortstop in Garcia’s absence.

“We can do a lot of things here,” Gasso said. “We are going to get there if it is meant to be. But I want us to have a chance to win a national championship and an SEC championship. We have to grind the next two weeks and need them to breathe. This was that chance.”

Gasso also didn’t take her pitching staff much, using Miali Guachino and Kierston Deal for two innings each before Berkley Zache closed it out with a 1-2-3 seventh.

“I think Miali, we wanted to get back on the mound because I don’t think we felt or she felt wonderful about what she did over the weekend,” Gasso said. “It was more about her. … Berkeley Zache is another one really dying for opportunity. She shows she can mix speeds so well.”

The no-hitter was the Sooners’ first of the season.

Oklahoma (43-6) resume SEC play Friday, opening a three-game series against No. 15 Georgia, at 6:30 p.m. at Love's FIeld.

The Sooners enter the weekend tied with Alabama at 15-3 for the lead in the SEC standings with six games remaining.

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