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Oklahoma softball: Sooners one win away from Big 12 double-double

By Chip Rouse

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - OCTOBER 17: Lauren Gibson of the United States of America hits during the Softball Preliminary Round match between the United States of America and Venezuela during Day Three of the XVI Pan American Games at CODE Alcalde on October 17, 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - OCTOBER 17: Lauren Gibson of the United States of America hits during the Softball Preliminary Round match between the United States of America and Venezuela during Day Three of the XVI Pan American Games at CODE Alcalde on October 17, 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma softball brushed aside two more Big 12 opponents on Friday and are one win away from a sweep of the conference regular-season and postseason championship titles.

As dominant as the Sooners have been all season, though, in the doubleheader sweep of Texas and Iowa State on Friday OU fell behind early before getting its game going.

Against Texas, a squeeze bunt by the Longhorns netted a first-inning run off of Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Paige Parker to take the early advantage, but the Sooners erupted for  three runs in the second, two in the third and two more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-1 lead. OU closed out the game with a three-run sixth inning to finish off the No. 4-seeded Longhorns by run rule (a lead of eight or more runs after five innings)..

In the nightcap, OU yielded four runs to No. 6 seed Iowa State in the opening inning, courtesy of two uncharacteristic Sooner errors. OU chipped away offensively, scoring three in the top half of the second and a single run in the third to tie the score and put the game away with a three-run fifth on the way to a hard-fought 9-6 victory.

The two wins on Friday give Oklahoma 30 consecutive wins over Big 12 opponents and sends the Sooners into the championship game Saturday afternoon against No, 3 seed Baylor (36-15, 12-6) at ASA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City. Baylor made it to the championship game with Pool B victories over No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Texas Tech.

Here are some of the notable numbers from Oklahoma’s two wins on Friday:

0 – Outs recorded by Oklahoma starting pitcher Mariah Lopez, allowing four runs on three hits in the first inning against Iowa State. Conrad faced just five batters before being lifted for a reliever.

3 – Three Oklahoma players (Sydney Romero, Shay Knighton and Caleigh Clifton) had two hits each in the Sooners 10-1 win over Texas.

3 – The Sooner had made less than 15 errors all season before committing three in OU’s 9-6 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship on Friday.

19 – Oklahoma’s 10-1 run-rule win over Texas was the Sooners’ 19th of the season.

24 – Freshman Jocelyn Alo hit her nation-best 24th home run of the season in game one vs, Texas.

25-2 – Paige Parker’s win over Texas on Friday improved her season record to 25-2.

49-3 – OU’s 2018 season record after a pair of wins in the Big 12 postseason championship.

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