OU Softball: No. 2 Oklahoma Rolls in Reunion With Kansas

NORMAN — Two old pals got together for a softball game at Love’s Field on Friday.

The end result was familiar, as OU No. 2-ranked Oklahoma kicked around Kansas with a 9-1 run rule in the second game of the Omni Classic.

OU improved to 16-0, while KU dropped to 8-6.

Earlier in the day, the Sooners run ruled Marshall 9-1.

"It's a good day today," OU coach Patty Gasso said. There are parts of our game that might be a little bit slow, but we started to pick it up and to run-rule both teams, that's a big deal here. These are two good teams, Marshall and Kansas.

Friday’s nightcap renewed an old conference rivalry between the Sooners and Jayhawks. Their last meeting was OU’s last game as a member of the Big 12 — a win in the Big 12 Tournament title game — and their 126th overall. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 82-44, including a 41-10 record in Norman. The Jayhawks haven’t beaten OU since 2016.

Before exchanging lineup cards and going over ground rules with the umpire crew, Gasso and Kansas coach Jennifer McFalls enjoyed a warm hug at home plate.

Then they got down to business.

Sam Landry (5-0) was brilliant again in the circle for OU, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out eight over five innings.

Left hander Kierston Deal relieved Landry with one out in the sixth and threw out both hitters herself.

Oklahoma broke out of an early pitcher’s duel with four runs in the third inning when slugger Cydney Sanders executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Abby Dayton from third base.

Dayton set the table when she led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second, and Ella Parker singled to left while Dayton took third.

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas followed Sanders’ bunt with a 233-foot home run into the right field seats to put OU up 4-0.

After Kansas plated a run in the top of the fourth on Ava Wallace’s RBI single to score Hailey Cripe, the Sooners busted out more big bats in the bottom of the inning.

Gabby Garcia opened the frame with a single and Isabella Emerling pounded a 1-0 pitch to right-center field, a 244-foot blast that pushed Oklahoma’s lead to 6-1.

After Dayton singled and Ailana Agbayani reached on a fielder’s choice, Parker then delivered a 248-foot bomb — the team’s first home run of the year into the left field seats — for an 8-1 lead.

Oklahoma put a runner on in the fifth to enter run-rule territory, but failed to score. But they didn't fail in the sixth.

Parker's RBI double scored Dayton to finish off the run rule.

OU meets both KU and Marshall again on Saturday afternoon, with the opening game set for 3:15 p.m. The Sooners host Kansas City on Sunday at 1:45 p.m.

Next weekend, Oklahoma begins Southeastern Conference play with a three-game home series against South Carolina. Ready or not, here it comes.

"We’re getting there. Yeah. I mean, we’ll find out," Gasso said. "We have a little bit of ups and downs, and we’re fighting through some things too. I think we’re battle ready. I like what they did today."