Oklahoma Sooners hit three home runs, beat Texas 8-1 in series opener
Jordy Bahl gave up a home run to Texas leadoff hitter Leighanne Goode and while Texas would threaten in later innings, Bahl took control of the game. Bahl settled in to throw six scoreless innings after the first to shut down the high-powered Longhorns offense to help Oklahoma win game one of the series 8-1.
It didn’t take long for the Sooners to respond to Texas’ opening frame. Jayda Coleman hit a pop fly to left-center field, but it was misplayed, and she advanced to second on the error and then to third as the Longhorns outfielder threw behind her to second.
Tiare Jennings drove her in with a single, and though Oklahoma wouldn’t score with the bases loaded and just one out, it set the stage for what would be a dominating Sooners win.
After getting one run off of starter Estelle Czech in the first, the Sooners broke the game open in the second. A pair of singles by Alynah Torres and Rylie Boone, followed by a wild pitch, put runners on second and third with nobody out. After a Jayda Coleman flyout, Tiare Jennings reminded everyone why she’s one of the best in the country with a bomb to left center for the three-run home run and put Oklahoma up 4-1.
It was Jennings’ eighth home run of the season, which ties her with Alyssa Brito and Jayda Coleman for the team lead.
Haley Lee followed Jennings with a home run to go back-to-back, put Oklahoma up 5-1, and chase Czech from the game. It was Lee’s seventh homer of the season.
Sophia Simpson settled things down for Texas. She but with some strong defense, a timely overturned call on the field, and the way Jordy Bahl was throwing, the Longhorns couldn’t get anything going. Simpson kept the Sooners from building up on their lead with four scoreless innings until the sixth.
In the sixth, the Sooners went back to work.
With two outs in the sixth, Tiare Jennings doubled, and Haley Lee brought her around for Lee’s second RBI of the day. Now leading 6-1, Kinzie Hansen blasted a 2-1 pitch to left center for her seventh home run of the season. She now has seven home runs and 31 RBIs in just 22 games in 2023.
Tiare Jennings led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Her double was nearly her second home run of the game, hitting just off the top of the wall in left field.
Haley Lee, Grace Lyons, Kinzie Hansen, and Rylie Boone each had multi-hit performances for the Sooners who put up 12 hits and took advantage of a pair of Longhorns errors.
On a night that set an NCAA attendance record, the Sooners put on a show. In front of 8,930 fans, Oklahoma took care of business against Texas.
Jordy Bahl picked up her ninth win of the season in the complete game, two-hit performance. Though she allowed four walks, Bahl struck out six in the win. She was superhuman tonight, throwing 108 pitches in the win. Bahl’s performance allowed Patty Gasso to keep Nicole May, Alex Storako, and Kierston Deal fresh for the remainder of the three-game series.
The Sooners improved to 31-1 on the season while the Longhorns fell to 30-6-1.
Game two will be on Saturday at 11 am on ESPN2 at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, followed by the Sunday finale at the same time Sunday, also on ESPN2.
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