OU Softball Picks Up 14-0 Run-Rule Victory Over No. 1 UCLA

There is no question who the top team in the country is after No. 2 Oklahoma cruised to a 14-0 run-rule win over No. 1 UCLA Sunday in the finale at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 

The Sooners (13-1) were in dominant form throughout the weekend, finishing 5-0 in Cathedral City and beating opponents by a margin of 50-4 with three shutouts. Sunday's romp of the Bruins (17-1) highlighted the weekend, as OU blasted six home runs and registered 20 hits in the contest. Redshirt senior Alex Storako went the distance in the circle, twirling a scoreless gem with five strikeouts to no walks and just three hits allowed. 

Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Haley Lee and Kinzie Hansen all went yard for OU and a trio of Sooners had three-hit days. Hansen blasted two homers in a game for the sixth time in her career. 

After a scoreless first inning, Oklahoma scored multiple runs in each ensuing inning, beginning with a six-run second with four home runs. 

All six first-inning runs came by way of two-out homers, starting with back-to-back solo blasts from Alyssa Brito and Jayda Coleman. Jennings made it three out of four at-bats with a two-run home run after a Grace Lyons single. Following a single from freshman Jocelyn Erickson, her team-leading 16th hit of the season, Lee brought her around on the super senior's second home run of 2023 to make it 6-0 OU after two. 

Oklahoma put up more crooked numbers in the third and fourth inning with two runs across each frame. In the third, Jennings ripped a two-RBI double to left center then Hansen blasted her first of two home runs on the day on a two-run knock to center. 

In the fifth, the Sooners extended the final margin to 14-0 courtesy of an RBI single from pinch-hitting senior Grace Green and Hansen's second home run. The Norco, Calif., product who made her season debut this weekend brought in a trio on the homer, running her career total to 38. 

Storako moved to 4-0 in the circle in 2023 and improved her ERA to an exceptional 0.34 with 26 strikeouts on the year. It was OU's ninth shutout of the season in 13 games. 

Coleman, Jennings and Lee all registered 3-for-4 games, while Hansen paced OU with five RBIs to Jennings' four. Eleven Sooners recorded a hit in the contest, with all but one Sooner who made a plate appearance registering a base hit.

OU has now beat UCLA four of the last five meetings dating back to 2021 and have outscored its fellow softball juggernaut 42-10 in those five games.

OU's 20 hits were the most since a 20-hit performance at Wichita State on May 23, 2021. The Sooners six home runs were a season high and the most since hitting six in Game One of the Women's College World Series Championship Series vs. Texas on June 8th of last season. 

The Sooners host No. 18/18 Kentucky and UIC next weekend, March 3-4, for the home-opening OU Tournament in Norman. Oklahoma meets both teams twice on weekend and all games can be seen via SoonerVision on ESPN+ and heard via 107.7 The Franchise or nationwide on the TuneIn app. Tickets for all regular season games at Marita Hynes Field are sold out.