No. 1 Oklahoma Knocks Out Cal 16-3, Advance To Super Regional

Six home runs powered No. 1 Oklahoma past California, 16-3, and into the program's 13th consecutive NCAA Super Regional Sunday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.

The dominant victory marked the Sooners' (54-1) 46th straight win, extending the program record and moving one win shy of tying the NCAA record set by 1996-97 Arizona. In addition, Sunday's performance was the 19th time this year that OU scored double-digit runs and secured the 27th run-rule victory of the season.

A quartet of first-inning homers from Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito, Cydney Sanders and Jocelyn Erickson paved the way for Oklahoma's complete performance as the Sooners jumped in front 6-0 after one. It marked the third time this season OU has hit four blasts in one frame.

Another Jennings home run in the second inning made it 7-0 Sooners after just two frames, marking the two-time All-American's first multi-HR game of 2023 and second in her postseason career. 

A seven-run third inning continued to put the game out of reach as doubles from Jennings and Jayda Coleman, paired with a second home run from Brito pushed OU 14 runs in front of Cal (35-21-1). The second Brito blast marked her second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of her career.

The Sooners' six home runs tied an NCAA tournament record for single-game homers, with the feat done six times in NCAA Division I softball history, three of which were Oklahoma (2021 Regional Final vs. Wichita State [5/23]; 2022 WCWS vs. Texas [6/8]).

The Bears scored a trio of runs in the bottom of the third inning, but Grace Lyons and Quincee Lilio plated a pair of runs at the top of the fourth to make it 16-3, a score that held as Nicole May (1.1 IP) and Kierston Deal (1.0 IP) closed the game out.

Jennings paced OU at the plate in a perfect 4-for-4, four RBI performance, tying a program NCAA tourney record for single-game hits (done nine times). Brito finished 2-for-3 with a team-best and career-high five RBIs. Twelve Sooners recorded a hit in the game with seven bringing in at least one run.

Alex Storako got the start in the circle, throwing two and two-thirds innings, surrendering five hits and three earned runs with one walk and one strikeout. Nicole May earned the win in relief, throwing one and a third innings and allowing no hits with one strikeout to improve to 18-0 on the season. Deal closed the game, throwing a hitless fifth inning with one strikeout.

The Sooners advance to their 13th consecutive and 15th overall NCAA Super Regional and will host the No. 16-seed Clemson Tigers (49-10, 18-6 ACC) next weekend in Norman with dates and times to be announced. TV designation is also to be determined across ESPN's family of networks.