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OU softball begins NCAA Norman Regional with run-rule win over Prairie View A&M

justin martinez, oklahoman
·4 min read
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NORMAN — Jocelyn Alo had plenty of highlights on Friday.

The redshirt senior shined during the top-seeded OU softball team's 14-0 win over Prairie View A&M in the NCAA Norman Regional. She went 2-for-3 at the plate. She hit a home run. She racked up three RBIs and two runs.

But none of those highlights meant more to Alo than the one that came in the bottom of the fourth inning.

OU held an 11-0 lead when Turiya Coleman stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second. In what only marked the 11th at-bat of her career, the freshman connected on a pitch and sent the ball high over the wall in right field for a three-run homer.

"It was definitely the highlight of my night to see (Coleman) hit a home run," Alo said. "I teared up when she hit it, so it was nice."

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While Alo holds the record for the most career home runs in NCAA Division I softball history, Coleman's homer on Friday was the first of her young career.

"It felt amazing," Coleman said in a postgame television interview. "Right off the bat, I knew it was gone. It was awesome. Being on a team where it's nothing but success, they're molding me into the player that I am."

More importantly, Coleman's homer served as a reward for her efforts all season.

Freshmen on the OU softball team (50-2) don't have it easy. They carry the team's equipment. They drag coolers on the road. They pay their dues.

"Freshmen sometimes get treated like freshmen, and they take it," OU head coach Patty Gasso said. "They do all of that dirty work... They just wait. So when it finally came time (for Coleman), it was a big celebration for this group."

Coleman wasn't the only underclassman who shined.

Sophomore pitcher Nicole May dominated inside the circle. She threw a no-hitter in four innings, although her pristine stat line nearly got spoiled in the top of the second.

The Sooners held a 2-0 lead with two outs when May delivered a pitch to Taliya Talley and watched as a line drive got sent back in her direction. May tried to make the snag, but the ball ricocheted off her leg.

A collective groan echoed throughout Marita Hynes Field, and yet Jana Johns remained unfazed. The redshirt senior third baseman made a barehanded scoop and zipped the ball to first base in time for the out.

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Nicole May (19) pitches as the Oklahoma Sooners face the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Nicole May (19) pitches as the Oklahoma Sooners face the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, on Friday, May 20, 2022.

May brushed off the shot to the leg and continued to enforce her will inside the circle. She finished with seven strikeouts.

"I feel like the postseason is a little bit different, so I felt more confident," May said. "I worked a lot this week to feel more comfortable and more in control, so I felt that tonight."

OU's defense didn't surrender a hit all evening, and its offense was equally excellent.

The Sooners drew first blood in the opening inning when Alo played the role of the decoy. The Sooner slugger got caught stealing second base, but her attempt bought Jayda Coleman enough time to score from third.

Alo would've been better off staying put, though. Tiare Jennings connected on the ensuing pitch and sent the ball flying over the wall for a solo home run that gave OU a 2-0 edge.

Alo took a more aggressive approach in the bottom of the third. She sent a line drive up the heart of the Panthers' defense for an RBI single, which sparked a four-run inning that put the Sooners up 6-0.

OU then held a home run derby in the fourth inning. Alo and Grace Lyons each delivered a two-run homer, and Turiya Coleman capped off the spree with her three-run dinger.

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Tiare Jennings (23) hits a home run and is greeted by the team at home as the Oklahoma Sooners face the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Oklahoma, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Tiare Jennings (23) hits a home run and is greeted by the team at home as the Oklahoma Sooners face the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the NCAA Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Oklahoma, on Friday, May 20, 2022.

"I thought it was really good," Alo said of the fourth inning. "The offense was just doing what we do best, which is just controlling the strike zone and hitting the ball hard."

The Sooners erupted for eight runs in the frame to take a 14-0 lead. Hope Trautwein then completed the run-rule victory and the combined no-hitter in the fifth inning.

OU advances to face Texas A&M on Saturday at approximately 1 p.m. The Aggies earned a 5-1 win over Minnesota on Friday.

The winner between OU and Texas A&M will advance to Sunday's final game, where a spot in the NCAA Super Regional round is on the line. The loser will face the winner of Minnesota and Prairie View A&M (20-29) later Saturday in an elimination game.

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma softball beats Prairie View to open NCAA Norman Regional