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Oklahoma softball: Home run barrage advances OU to championship

By Chip Rouse

BEIJING - AUGUST 16: Jessica Mendoza of the United States celebrates with her team after hitting a home run against Chinese Taipei during their softball game at Fengtai Softball Field on Day 8 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 16, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 16: Jessica Mendoza of the United States celebrates with her team after hitting a home run against Chinese Taipei during their softball game at Fengtai Softball Field on Day 8 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 16, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Senior Paige Lowary was one batter shy of a no-hitter as the Oklahoma softball team rolled to a second straight run-rule, shutout win in the NCAA Norman Regional.

Lowary did not allow a ball to be hit out of the infield in pitching a complete-game, one-hit shutout. It was the 26th opponent the Sooners have blanked this season and their 21st victory by game-shortened run rule.

Tulsa’s Morgan Neal beat out an infield hit to second base in the first inning, and that was the only hit in the game for the Golden Hurricane, who struggled to make good contact against the hard-throwing Lowary.

The game was scoreless through two innings, but junior Fale Aviu opened up the scoring for Oklahoma with a home run to left center in the top of the third, her fourth of the year. The Sooners scored two more in the fifth on a two-run blast by freshman Jocelyn Alo that cleared the bleachers in left field. It was Alo’s nation-best 26th home run of the season.

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The Sooners blew the game wide open one inning later, batting around and scoring five more runs. Senior center fielder Nicole Pendley led off the inning with her 14th round-tripper of the year. Pendley’s home run put Oklahoma up 4-0, but after three walks and three hit batters, OU pushed across four more runs off of Tulsa reliever Madison Higley to put the game away.

The win advances the two-time defending national champion Sooners, the No, 4 overall seed in the 2018 NCAA Softball Championship, to the regional championship game on Sunday. They may face Boston University or Tulsa again in Sunday’s championship.

That will depend on the outcome of the elimination game between BU and Missouri. The winner of the elimination game will play Tulsa later on Saturday for the right to go up against the Sooners in the championship.

Oklahoma, now 52-3 on the season, is seeking its ninth straight NCAA Regional championship.

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