Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Complete Sweep of Kansas Behind Dominant Defense
No. 1-ranked Oklahoma dominated Kansas a third time on Sunday, completing the series sweep of the Jayhawks in Lawrence with a 9-1 victory.
OU was led by Tiare Jennings, who recorded her 22nd home run of the season and drove in a pair of runs.
With Oklahoma’s sweep of Kansas, the Sooners improved to 45-1 overall and 14-1 in Big 12 play. While the Sooners suffered a lone road loss at Texas, they still have yet to lose a series on the year.
Kansas fell to 15-31 overall and 2-13 in conference play. The Sooners won the three games by a combined score of 45-1.
Nicole May got the start on the mound for OU and pitched her 12th win. May has yet to record a loss on the year, going a perfect 12-0 so far.
In three innings, May recorded three strikeouts and only allowed two hits. She gave up no runs before Hope Trautwein took over.
Trautwein pitched just two innings, recording three strikeouts and allowing no hits. Jordy Bahl took over in the bottom of the sixth inning, closing the game out for the Sooners. Bahl recorded four strikeouts and allowed one run while finishing up.
The first half of the game was a true defensive battle, something the Sooners haven’t seen much of this season. Kansas was excellent in the field through the first three innings, allowing just one hit and snatching two diving outs.
In the top of the fourth inning, Oklahoma got busy. After Jennings was walked, Lynnsie Elam’s single to left field advanced Alyssa Brito to second and brought Jennings home. The next batter up was Jana Johns, who brought Elam and Brito home with a double down the left field line.
After the fourth inning, the Sooners led 3-0.
OU’ carried the hot bats into the fifth inning where the scoring onslaught continued. Jocelyn Alo flew out to left field, bringing home Rylie Boone. Next up for the Sooners was Jennings, who drilled a home run to right centerfield, scoring Coleman in the process for a 6-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Hannah Coor scored from third, beating the throw home on an infield ground ball by Taylon Snow. The late run lifted Oklahoma’s lead to 7-0.
The Jayhawks scored their first run of the weekend in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday. A single to left field advanced the runner home, just beating the throw to the plate.
Oklahoma responded to the Jayhawks' lone run by blasting another homer, this one coming from Brito. The two-run shot brought home Jennings, bringing the final score to a 9-1 tally.
The Sooners return home next weekend for the final series of the regular season, where Oklahoma awaits its highly anticipated series with in-state rivalry against No. 8-ranked Oklahoma State.