Oklahoma crushes California to advance

2023-05-24 - Ryan Aber

NORMAN, Okla. – Usually Oklahoma needs a full inning to put teams away at Marita Hynes Field.

Thanks to the intricacies of the NCAA Tournament, though, last weekend’s Norman Regional final against Cal didn’t even last that long before the topseeded Sooners put it away.

OU used a big first-inning to get the ball rolling, blasting the Golden Bears 16-3 in five innings to win the regional and advance to the super regional for the 13th consecutive time.

“The team came in ready,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said. “We knew that this is a day that a lot of teams’ seasons end today and we just decided it wouldn’t be ours today.”

The Sooners (54-1) also extended their winning streak to 46, moving within one of tying the NCAA record streak of 47. The record was set by Arizona in 1996-97. OU will host Clemson this weekend in the super regional with a Women’s College World Series berth on the line.

The Sooners were the visiting team May 21, giving them first shot with the bats.

By the time Alex Storako trotted to the circle for the bottom half of the inning, the game was virtually over.

OU blasted four home runs in the first to take a 6-0 lead early.

“It felt like a party, honestly,” OU’s Alyssa Brito, who hit one of those home runs, said of the top of the first inning. “It was super fun. Everyone had really great energy.”

The Sooners hadn’t allowed more than four runs in any game this season, pushing the game further into no-doubt territory.

Tiare Jennings blasted a solo homer down the right field line to open the scoring, Haley Lee followed with a double and then Brito crushed one over the batter’s eye in center field.

After Kinzie Hansen’s single up the middle, Cydney Sanders and Jocelyn Erickson delivered back-to-back home runs to make it 6-0. Jennings hit another solo homer in the second, her 14th of the season, before OU’s bats once again exploded in the third. The Sooners scored seven in the inning, this time mostly keeping the ball in the park.

Coleman and Jennings delivered back-to-back run-scoring doubles before Brito hit her second home run of the game, this one a three-run shot to center.

It was Brito’s second multiple home run game of the season and her fifth in two seasons with the Sooners.

For Jennings, it was her first two-home run game of the season and the 11th multiple home run game of her career.

OU’s six home runs tied a program record for most home runs in a regional game.

Lee kept her hot postseason rolling, going 2-for-3 with two runs. It was Lee’s fifth consecutive multihit game. She’s 10for-13 during that span.

Twelve different Sooners recorded hits.

OU blitzed through the regional, outscoring opponents 36-3 and outhitting them 42-7 to stretch their regional winning streak to 10. The Sooners have won 16 consecutive regional and super regional games.

Here is the Super Regional schedule. All times Eastern Daylight. Teams marked with an asterisk* are the hosts. Networks for each Game 2 will be released following Game 1. (Source: NCAA)

Tallahassee Super Regional - Tallahassee, Florida

• Game 1: Thursday, May 25, 7 p.m. | No. 3 Florida State* vs. No. 14 Georgia | ESPN2

• Game 2: Friday, May 26, 8 p.m. | No. 14 Georgia vs. No. 3 Florida State* | TBD

• Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, May 27

Stillwater Super Regional Stillwater, Oklahoma

• Game 1: Thursday, May 25, 9 p.m. | No. 6 Oklahoma State* vs. Oregon | ESPN2

• Game 2: Friday, May 26, 6 p.m. | Oregon vs. No. 6 Oklahoma State* | TBD

• Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, May 27

Norman Super Regional Norman, Oklahoma

• Game 1: Friday, May 26, 2 p.m. | No. 1 Oklahoma* vs. No. 16 Clemson | ESPN2

• Game 2: Saturday, May 27, 1 p.m. | No. 16 Clemson vs. No. 1 Oklahoma* | TBD