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Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Dominate Bears Again, Remain Perfect

Saturday was more of the same for Oklahoma, putting Baylor away behind stout defensive snags and offensive fireworks.
Ross Lovelace|
Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Dominate Bears Again, Remain Perfect
Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Dominate Bears Again, Remain Perfect

NORMAN — After the Sooners dominated the Bears 9-1 Friday night, Oklahoma and Baylor took the field in Norman for the second game of the series Saturday.

It took the Sooners a little bit longer to get started, but it ended in business as usual.

No. 1-ranked Oklahoma (27-0, 2-0 Big 12) coasted Saturday to an 8-0 victory over Baylor (17-11, 0-2) behind Lynnsie Elam's three RBIs. The Sooners combined for six runs in the third and fourth inning, closing the door on any chance the Bears had.

"We played good defense, really good defense," said head coach Patty Gasso. "Overall, I wouldn't say this was our greatest game, but any win against a conference opponent is an important win for us."

The Sooners were led offensively by Elam along with Tiare Jennings. Elam finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a double while Jennings notched two RBIs.

While it was freshman sensation Jordy Bahl on the mound for the Sooners on Friday night, it was Nicole May’s turn Saturday afternoon. Patty Gasso noted the pitching could’ve been better in the 9-1 victory Friday, but said the strength of this pitching group is what separates this team from past teams.

May finished the day with five strikeouts. She gave up just four hits and surrendered no runs in five innings pitched.

"I think Nicole May handled her business very well," said Gasso. "This is the second time they've seen her and it's a little bit tougher. I thought she handled her business."

The Sooners are now 3-0 against Baylor on the season. While Saturday was only the second game of the series, OU and Baylor faced off in the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawaii, resulting in a 12-3 Sooner win.

In the first two innings, it was a true defensive battle. The Sooners and the Bears were each scoreless and struggled to find any momentum. May recorded three strikeouts and allowed two hits while keeping Baylor off the board.

"We just weren't executing our plan from the start," said Grace Lyons. "We felt it as an offense the whole time. Just not being as aggressive as we should. We can learn that we need to be more aggressive early in the count, not being deep in counts, because that's when we're at our best."

Jana Johns led the defensive attack, snagging back-to-back outs in the top of the third. Her most impressive play came on a live drive in the air to first, as Johns leaped across to foul line to make a diving catch near third base.

The Sooners got busy in the bottom of the third. With two runners in scoring position, Elam stepped up to the plate. She cranked one to the wall, bouncing it off and driving in two runners. Then, Taylon Snow singled right between first and second, bringing another run home. After the third inning, OU led 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Sooners’ bats were still hot. Jennings stepped up to the plate and ripped a stinger down the right field line for a double and driving in two more runs. Jennings was then brought home after an Elam single for her third RBI of the day.

After exploding for six runs in two innings, OU led Baylor 6-0 heading into the top of the fifth inning.

Lyons ended the game, knocking a high flying shot to center field and bringing home Jennings and Jayda Coleman to complete the 8-0 run rule.

This marks the 13th straight run rule for OU.

The Sooners will play the third and final game of the series against Baylor on Sunday at noon. After Baylor, Oklahoma takes a week off from conference play, starting with a home battle against Wichita State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners since 2018. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and the Sooners On SI podcast. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross started with Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and worked for Sooners On SI and Thunder On SI. Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross and his wife live in New Orleans, where he is a Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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