OU Softball: Oklahoma Run-Rules Tulsa to Open Norman Tournament

NORMAN — With all the snow and ice melting and the Oklahoma campus bathed in an almost unfamiliar glow, softball season resumed with a flourish.

On a sun-splashed, perfectly temperate afternoon in the Norman Tournament, No. 2-ranked Oklahoma delivered a 8-0 run-rule victory over Tulsa on Saturday at Love’s Field.

"We were really, really pleased about that because it looked like we may not play this weekend," head coach Patty Gasso said. "The crowd came out. I’m really excited about that. They were excited to see us. It felt good to be home.

OU improved to 11-0 on the season, while Tulsa fell to 5-6. Dating back to last year’s College World Series, it was the Sooners’ 14th consecutive win.

Kierston Deal got the start for the Sooners. The left-hander hurled four scoreless innings with four strikeouts and allowed two hits and one walk.

"It was great to see how many Sooner fans were in the stands," Deal said. "Like, even with the cold, like they're sticking with us. Like, all the way through it."

Isabella Smith pitched the fifth inning and quickly got two strikeouts before a ground ball ended it.

Deal ended three of the first four innings with swinging strikeouts — two of those with a runner on base. She also induced a ground-ball double play after walking leadoff hitter Faith Russell to open the game.

OU left two runners on base in the first inning, then loaded the bases on three walks in the second before breaking through.

Ella Parker’s one-hop ground ball to first base hit the chalk and skidded between Paige Knight’s cleats and into right field, bringing home all three runners with unearned runs and a 3-0 lead.

Kasidi Pickering slammed a double into the gap in right-center field to lead off the third inning and moved to third when Nelly McEnroe-Marinas’ deep fly ball was caught on the warning track in right. Ailana Agbayani then sent Pickering home with a sharp single through the left side for a 4-0 lead.

“Today was definitely a pick-me-up for the beginning of the season and how I've been doing," Pickering said.

Gabbie Garcia led off the bottom of the fourth with a double into the right field corner, took third on Abigale Dayton’s groundout to second base, and came home on a wild pitch for a 5-0 lead.

Parker then followed that with a bloop double behind shortstop, extending her hitting streak to 15 games dating back to last year.

After Cydney Sanders walked, Pickering then smashed a three-run home run into the the shrubs behind the center field wall for an 8-0 lead. With runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Maya Bland drove a pitch to the left field wall for the third out.

"I think, to be honest, the last couple of weeks, we've seen these guys hit the ball much harder early in the game as well, like setting the tone," Gasso said. "So we didn't do anything wrong. We did everything right. Defense was great, pitching outstanding."

OU resumes action in the Norman Tournament on Sunday with a 3:30 p.m. game against Wichita State before closing with two on Monday against Bowling Green (11 a.m.) and Abilene Christian (2 p.m.)

All games are scheduled to be televised by SEC Network+.