'Such a solid group': OU softball routs Weber State, Auburn in Hall of Fame Classic

During her postgame press conference Friday night, OU softball coach Patty Gasso offered a bit of foreshadowing.

“Tomorrow, you’re going to see a different looking team,” Gasso said after her team’s lackadaisical opening to the Hall of Fame Classic at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

The top-ranked Sooners certainly responded, blasting Weber State 16-0 in five innings in the opener and then knocking off 19th-ranked Auburn 14-0 in the nightcap.

The Sooners have repeatedly rebounded from unimpressive performances this season.

“I think my expectations are their expectations,” Gasso said. “It’s such a solid group right now.”

OU (26-1) has won 18 consecutive games.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ doubleheader sweep:

More:How OU softball's Sophia Nugent prepared for her breakout year in a men's fastpitch league

Jayda Coleman does it twice

Jayda Coleman hit one home run in the nightcap against Auburn.

But Coleman circled the bases twice.

In the bottom of the first, Coleman blasted Annabelle Widra’s fifth pitch down the right-field line.

The ball landed a few feet into foul territory on the other side of the fence, though it hooked as it made its way there.

“I thought it was fair the whole time,” Coleman said.

Coleman said she noticed the shot called foul as she hit first base but decided to keep going, even finishing it off with the Sooners’ “airplane” celebrating as she reached home.

“Jocy (Alo) would be mad if I didn’t do a home-run trot right,” Coleman said.

Without replay review available, Sooners coach Patty Gasso made a beeline for the home-plate umpire, who directed her instead to the first-base umpire.

Gasso asked the umpire who’d made the call to confer with the others. Umpires quickly ruled Coleman’s shot a home run.

The ruling triggered another Coleman run around the bases.

This time when she got there, she was met by a mob of teammates.

Gasso said she’d like to see taller foul poles added to make it easier on umpires to make such calls.

Coleman’s home run, her sixth of the season, was the first of three in the first inning for OU against Auburn.

Tiare Jennings blasted a two-run homer to left-center with one out, and then Kinzie Hansen added a solo shot to center to cap the four-run first for the Sooners.

More:Get to know the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners softball team and schedule

First inning big for Sooners

It didn’t take long for it to be clear that Patty Gasso’s Friday-night prediction had some teeth.

By the time the first OU hitter was retired against Weber State, the Sooners had already scored five runs as the first seven batters reached base.

Haley Lee delivered the game’s first big blow with a two-run double to center.

Lee later added an RBI double to wrap up the scoring in the Sooners’ nine-run first.

Against Auburn, OU also got going quickly, beginning with Jayda Coleman’s leadoff homer.

After Lee added yet another double, Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen each hit home runs to give the Sooners a 4-0 lead.

OU has outscored its opponents 57-3 in the first inning this season.

The only inning the Sooners have scored more in is the second. After scoring four in the second against Weber State, OU has outscored opponents 72-0 in the second.

More:'She feels it for her state': How Skylar Vann came to embrace bench role for Sooners

Pitching keeps rolling

OU’s pitching continued its dominance Saturday with 10 scoreless innings.

Alex Storako, Kierston Deal and Jordy Bahl combined to allow just five hits and two walks while striking out 16 in the sweep.

"I thought our pitching today was so on point," Sooners coach Patty Gasso said. "I was really proud of all three of them."

Storako started the night with three perfect innings, striking out six, before giving way to Deal.

After the first two Weber State hitters were retired, Mika Chong delivered an infield single for what proved to be the Wildcats’ lone hit.

The only other Weber State baserunner came on a walk to the next batter.

In the nightcap, Bahl allowed four hits and walked one with nine strikeouts.

"I really loved what Jordy looked like tonight," Gasso said. "And I think you're seeing her get really comfortable on the mound, and the team is really excited when she comes out. She's bringing a lot of fire. Good, competitive spirit on the mound as well."

More:OU basketball 'in awe' of UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, ready to make own history in NCAAs

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball blows out Weber State, Auburn in Omni Hall of Fame Classic