Sooners Take Game 1 Of Supers, Ties All-Time Win Streak

Friday's 9-2 victory over Clemson in the opening round of the Norman Super Regional sets up a potential storybook Saturday afternoon for the Oklahoma softball team.

The victory was the 47th straight for the top-ranked, top-seeded Sooners (55-1), tying the Division I record streak set by Arizona that spanned two seasons (1996-97).

If OU can set a D-I record Saturday with its 48th straight victory, the Sooners also would keep alive their hopes for a third straight national championship while advancing to the Women's College World Series for the seventh straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons.

As if those stakes weren't high enough, Saturday's noon start could be the last ever game staged at Marita Hynes Field, which has served as OU's home the last 25 seasons. Love's Field, the Sooners' new home being built with a current cost estimated at $48 million-plus, is scheduled to open in time for next season.

One more Saturday tidbit: It happens to be the birthday of OU head coach Patty Gasso.

However, a Clemson victory in Game 2 instantly would turn the Sooners' multifaceted dream scenario into a nightmare.

Friday's success came under unusual circumstances for OU, which struggled defensively with two fielding errors.

"It wasn't our best performance defensively, which is very uncharacteristic," Gasso said. "That's just not us."

Offensively, the Sooners took advantage of nearly every opportunity and stranded just one baserunner. Meanwhile, the Tigers failed to cash in on multiple occasions with nine runners left on base.

In what was the first-ever meeting between the two programs, OU took a 2-0 lead Friday with a run in the first and second innings.

Cydney Sanders' two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth pushed the Sooners' lead to 4-0.

Sparked by two OU errors in the fifth inning, the Tigers closed the deficit to 4-2, which could have been even tighter had they not left the bases loaded.

The Sooners opened the bottom half of the inning with five straight hits – an impromptu bunt single down the first-base line by Rylie Boone; a line-drive single to center from Jayda Coleman; an infield single to shortstop from Tiare Jennings to load the bases with no outs; followed by a grand slam to center by Haley Lee; and a solo homer from Alyssa Brito, who committed an error in the top half of the inning.

"It's a testament to feeling adversity and answering that call," Gasso said of the five-run outburst. "It (Boone's leadoff bunt) wasn't my decision, and I'm all for that decision. It sparked everything and created that momentum. They were not expecting that, I don't think. You can feel it (momentum) building. When it gets consecutive like that, they just go crazy. It's like a wave that's ready to break.

"They all have each other's back without really saying it. Brito knew it. I started to say something to her. I thought, 'OK, we're good. Everybody's good. Just flush it out by hitting it over the fence. That's what we do.' "

OU collected seven hits (five other flyouts reached the warning track) and seven earned runs against USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist Valerie Cagle in 4.0-plus innings of work against the redshirt junior righthander.

"She had one bad inning today and it got away from her a little bit," Clemson fourth-year head coach John Rittman said afterward. "It was a close game except for two innings today."

After delivering 99 pitches, Sooners starting sophomore righthander Jordy Bahl was pulled with one out and the bases empty in the sixth inning. She was relieved by redshirt senior righthander Alex Storako, who retired the last five hitters.

"It's almost like there's a flipped switch," Bahl said of the Sooners instantaneously securing the win in a span of five batters in the fifth inning. "It just happens that fast."

Despite both teams finishing with eight hits, Clemson wound up losing by seven runs.

"We had plenty of opportunities," Rittman said. "It's definitely a challenge (facing the Sooners). There's not an easy out in that lineup. There's a reason they're ranked No. 1 in the country."

Coleman finished 2-fo- 4 and scored twice while Lee had five RBIs.

OU is looking for its sixth national crown in the last nine seasons.

MORE NOTES & NUMBERS

• OU hit back-to-back home runs for the ninth time this season. 

• The Sooners have homered in 49 of 56 games, including hitting multiple home runs in 28 games and three or more in 14. 

• OU has multiple home runs in four straight games (every game of the NCAA postseason) and five of the last six games played. 

• Lee's fifth-inning grand slam was her first as a Sooner and second of her career. 

• Sophomore Cydney Sanders has homered in three straight games, bringing her season total to eight with seven coming since April 15 and four in OU's last nine games. 

• The Sooners tied the Tigers in hits, marking just the sixth time OU has been outhit or tied with an opponent in hits. All six have been OU wins. 

• Saturday's game two is scheduled for a 12 p.m. CT start and can be seen via ESPN with Eric Frede and Madison Shipman on the call. All OU games can be heard via 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity Network app.