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OU Softball: No. 1 Oklahoma Explodes in the Fourth Inning to Hammer Central Arkansas

The Sooners scored all nine runs in the fourth inning, run ruling Central Arkansas to start OU's weekend in Lake Charles, LA.
Ryan Chapman|
OU Softball: No. 1 Oklahoma Explodes in the Fourth Inning to Hammer Central Arkansas
OU Softball: No. 1 Oklahoma Explodes in the Fourth Inning to Hammer Central Arkansas

Oklahoma played opossum for the first three innings of this weekend’s Cowgirl Challenge.

Central Arkansas held Patty Gasso’s top-ranked Sooners scoreless, allowing just three base runners in the first three frames, before OU got going in Lake Charles, LA, but that all changed in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Back-to-back triples from Rylie Boone and Avery Hodge busted the game open, as Oklahoma powered past Central Arkansas 9-0 in five innings on Friday.

The OU (5-0) charge started when true freshman Ella Parker singled through the right side, bringing Kinzie Hansen home to open the scoring.

Kasidi Pickering then walked, putting runners on first and second, and Alynah Torres doubled the lead with a single of her own back up the middle.

Then Boone picked up right where she left off from last weekend.

She bounced a ball off the right field wall, extending OU’s lead over Central Arkansas (1-5) to 4-0 and ending up on third.

Hodge’s triple brought Boone home, and then she scored on a wild pitch at extend the advantage to 6-0.

Jayda Coleman then doubled, and Tiare Jennings traded places with the star center fielder to score Oklahoma’s seventh run of the inning before recording a single out.

Pinch-hitter Riley Ludlum reached on an error, and Hansen drew a walk to load the bases up for Parker as she made her second at-bat of the inning.

Parker initially bounced into a fielder’s choice, with Central Arkansas opting to throw Hansen out at second, scoring Jennings and putting the game at risk of a run rule. But after a trip to visit the umpires from Gasso, Hansen was ruled to be safe at second, keeping the bases loaded it’s no outs.

Hannah Coor did hit into a fielder’s choice, recording the first out of the inning, but scoring Oklahoma’s ninth run of the inning.

Torres and Quincee Lilio flew out, but the damage was done.

While OU’s bats took a few innings to warm up, Nicole May was steady in the circle.

She allowed just one hit and one walk in four innings of work, clearing the path for Paytn Monticelli to finish the contest.

She easily worked around a leadoff walk to notch the Sooners’ 58th-straight win. 

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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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