OU Softball: No. 1 Oklahoma Rolls East Texas A&M Behind Combined No-hitter

NORMAN — Oklahoma battled East Texas A&M and powerful wind gusts to remain unbeaten on Wednesday night.

OU coach Patty Gasso was able to give key players like Ella Parker and Cydney Sanders a rest while still strolling to victory against the Lions.

Infielders Gabbie Garcia and Ailana Agbayani both chipped in a pair of RBIs apiece and the pitching staff combined to throw a no-hitter as the Sooners dispatched of East Texas A&M 8-0 in five innings at Love’s field.

The victory nudged OU to 27-0 on the year and dropped the Lions to 7-22 as Oklahoma briefly stepped out of SEC play.

“Very efficient,” Gasso said after the win. “… I just appreciate East Texas coming out and going through this weather with us. No teams would say no thank you, but they’re ballers, they’re gamers and I appreciate that. We really wanted to play tonight.”

With the wind swirling, Oklahoma found success keeping the ball on the ground in the first inning.

The Sooners opened the scoring with a pair of RBI-singles from freshmen Garcia and Sydney Barker, both of which were hard-hit balls right back up the middle.

OU then extended its lead to 3-0 when Agbayani’s slow-rolling bunt forced the East Texas A&M defense to settle for the out at first as opposed to trying to turn a close play at the plate to throw out Garcia.

Agbayani added another RBI in the second when she drew a two-out, bases loaded walk on four pitches in the second, but Tia Milloy was unable to add to the advantage after her screamer was hit right at East Texas A&M third baseman Charlie Anger to end the game to the third inning.

Abby Dayton drew a leadoff walk in the third and stole second, allowing Oklahoma to immediately threaten again.

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas doubled to plate Dayton, then after Kasidi Pickering walked, Garcia singled to bring McEnroe-Marinas home and put OU up 6-0.

Barker then popped the ball up into shallow right field, but East Texas A&M failed to properly track the ball in the wind and both Pickering and Garcia scored on the error to push the game toward a run rule.

“It’s hard to play in those conditions,” Gasso said. “… It’s really hard when you’re playing in those conditions and you feel like it could cost you a game, because that can happen. You just can’t predict it. But it’s a testimony to our team and their preparation and their willingness and wanting to play.”

In the circle, Gasso and associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha again opted to take a full-staff approach.

Isabella Smith got the start and threw threw the first two innings. She struck out four of the six batters she faced.

Kierston Deal then pitched a clean inning before passing the baton off to Paytn Monticelli.

Monticelli allowed the Lions’ first runner of the game thanks to a walk in the fourth, but she quickly ended the inning without real incident.

She returned in the fifth to close out the victory, and she finished with the single walk and two strikeouts in her two innings of action.

The Sooners will be back out on the road this weekend as they step back into conference play.

Oklahoma will meet old Big 8 and Big 12 foe Missouri. The first game from Columbia, MO, is slated to start at 5 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.