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OU Softball: Jayda Coleman Blasts Oklahoma Past Texas Tech

The Sooner shortstop hit a pair of home runs to help Oklahoma extend its 27-game winning streak.
Ryan Chapman|
OU Softball: Jayda Coleman Blasts Oklahoma Past Texas Tech
OU Softball: Jayda Coleman Blasts Oklahoma Past Texas Tech

NORMAN — Jayda Coleman was unbothered by Texas Tech’s pitching strategy on Friday.

The Red Raiders again deployed a revolving door in the circle, but the strategy failed to fool the top-ranked Sooners for the second day in a row.

Coleman rocketed two home runs off two different pitchers, powering Oklahoma to another series victory.

After the dust had settled, the Sooners beat the Red Raiders 6-0 at Marita Hynes Field.

The Sooners extended their winning streak to 27 games with the win, moving to 35-1 on the year while the Red Raiders dropped to 28-14.

Before Coleman started her home run derby, Jordy Bahl got the start in the circle for the Sooners.

Patty Gasso’s dominant right-hander gave up a single and a walk to start the game before locking in, as she retired the next 14 batters of the game in order.

“Really outstanding performance by Jordy, obviously,” Gasso said after the game. “Just hammering the zone, coming back when needed from behind in counts and just really complete, absolute control. It’s fun to see.”

With Bahl rendering Texas Tech’s powerful bats a non-factor, Coleman got to work.

The star center fielder hammered the third pitch she saw into the left field bleachers to put OU up 1-0 after its first at-bat. 

From the jump, Coleman took a measured approach at the plate, learning from the offense’s struggles on Friday.


“Knowing what they did yesterday we got to see the pitchers at least for our own eyes,” Coleman said. “But just knowing what they’re going to do (helped).”

Coleman’s first inning bomb was home run No. 10 of the season, pacing the Sooners as she continued her National Player of the Year campaign.

In the third inning, Coleman bolstered her credentials.

Rylie Boone’s leadoff walk put a runner aboard for Coleman, who blasted her second home run of the night well over the stands in right field and toward the tennis courts that lay beyond Marita Hynes Field. 

“I don’t think I’ve hit a ball that far, to be honest,” Coleman said through a grin after the game. “It felt really good coming off the bat.”

More mistakes then cost Texas Tech.

Tiare Jennings walked, Haley Lee singled and Alyssa Brito wore a pitch to load the bases for OU catcher Kinzie Hansen.

Fighting off the urge to hang four runs on one swing, Hansen made good contact and dropped a hit into left field to plate Jennings and Lee and put runners on the corners.

Hansen then tried to steal second, and Texas Tech catcher Kennedy Crites air mailed the ball past the bag, allowing Brito to swipe home and put the Sooners up 6-0.

In the end, the Red Raiders only used three pitchers on Friday after showing the Oklahoma lineup six different arms in Thursday’s series opener.

Alternatively, Bahl was the only pitcher Gasso needed.

Across 6 1/3 innings of work, Bahl struck out 12 batters while allowing just the single hit and walk in the first inning. 

“I think today just (Bahl’s) absolute consistency I felt,” Gasso said. “And just her locked-in look. It’s intimidating. You can see it. You can see that she’s in a zone and she never let herself get out of it.

“If maybe she got down 2-0, 3-0, she just came right back and hammered. And that’s the competitive spirit that she has that bleeds into this team.”

With the game well in hand, true freshman left-hander Kierston Deal was brought in for the final two batters to close out the contest. 

Coleman finished the game 2-of-4, driving home the three RBIs in her first multi-home run game since she hit a pair against Missouri on March 7, 2021.

Oklahoma will look to complete its third Big 12 sweep of the season on Saturday, as first pitch between the Sooners and the Red Raiders is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The series finale will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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