Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Run Rule Cal

Alo Watch 2022 continues in the Hawaiian Islands, but the Oklahoma softball team isn’t waiting around for history.

No. 1-ranked Oklahoma beat Cal 8-0 on Friday night in the Sooners’ second game of the Rainbow Wahine Classic at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

For the eighth game in a row, OU senior Jocelyn Alo didn’t hit her record-breaking home run and still sits tied with former Sooner Lauren Chamberlain at 95 career bombs.

OU scheduled this event primarily to reward Alo and her record-setting career, and having the opportunity to set the NCAA mark in her home state — just 30 miles south of her coastal hometown of Hauula — would be an emotional storybook conclusion to what once might have seemed an impossible chase.

Even with a retuned batting order and defensive changes, Alo’s teammates continued their torrid contributions across the diamond, led by another dominant pitching performance by Jordy Bahl and Grace Lyons’ three-run home run in the fourth inning.

Alo was walked twice, including an intentional pass with the bases empty after Lyons’ big ball that put the Sooners up 8-0. It was another reminder that teams not only fear pitching to Alo but, even trailing by eight runs, they absolutely refuse to be the team that serves up her record-setting homer.

It mattered little as OU improved to 18-0 this season with its 14th run-rule of the season.

Jana Johns turned on the scoreboard on the first inning with a hard-hit infield single to shortstop that scored Tiare Jennings.

In the bottom of the second, Mackenzie Donihoo smacked a single through the right side to score Jayda Coleman from third to make it 2-0, and Jennings’ bases-loaded walk brought home Donihoo and put the Sooners ahead 3-0.

In the fourth inning, the Sooners loaded the bases with three straight singles, and Alyssa Brito’s single through left side scored Lynnsie Elam and made it 4-0. Coleman then came home on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead, setting up Lyons’ three-run bash for an 8-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Bahl, the Sooners’ dynamic freshman pitcher, was brilliant in the circle again. Bahl improved to 8-0 on the season with a sterling earned run average of 0.77.

Bahl pitched a complete game and struck out six while walking just one and scattering three hits.

OU coach Patty Gasso shook up the lineup, moving Lyons, the Sooners’ hot-hitting shortstop, into the leadoff spot ahead of Alo, inserting Elam fifth in the order (she started behind the plate — her fifth start of the year — to give Kinzie Hansen the night off), and super sub Grace Green batted seventh (she started at first base — her third start of the season — in place of Taylon Snow).

Alo has two more chances to hit her record-setting 96th homer — both against the host school Hawaii. The Sooners play the Rainbow Wahine at 10 p.m. Friday night, then meet them again on Saturday.