Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma softball: Sooners unscored on in winning Norman Regional

By Chip Rouse

ST PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 15: General view of the Phillies helmets prior to the Philadelphia Phillies taking on the Tampa Bay Rays on April 15, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. All players are wearing
ST PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 15: General view of the Phillies helmets prior to the Philadelphia Phillies taking on the Tampa Bay Rays on April 15, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. All players are wearing /
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Oklahoma softball swept through three opponents without allowing a run in storming to the championship in the NCAA Norman Regional on Sunday.

Longtime conference foe Missouri was the last team standing in the way of the Sooners capturing their ninth consecutive regional championship. Oklahoma capitalized on three Mizzou errors and four bases on balls by Tiger pitcher Madi Norman to score 5 unearned runs on the way to a 7-0 shutout that advanced the Sooners into next weekend’s Super Regional round.

The Sooners did not allow a run in three regional wins to improve their home record to 28-0 this season and 32 consecutive home wins at Marita Hynes Field dating back to last season.

Oklahoma outscored its three regional opponents — Boston University, Tulsa and Missouri — by the combined score of 24-0, with senior Paige Parker credited with two of the wins. Parker started and went 4 1/3 innings in the championship game with Missouri, allowing no runs and three hits in recording her 28th win of the season to go with just two losses.

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Paige Lowary, who begin her collegiate career at Missouri, came on in relief in the fifth inning and shut the door over the final 2 2/3 innings to preserve the shutout, OU’s 27th of the season.

Senior Sooner outfielder Nicole Pendley hit one out of the park with a runner aboard in the seventh inning, her 15th of the season and second of the weekend.

Oklahoma, which ranks No. 1 in the nation in fielding percentage, committed an uncharacteristic two errors against Missouri, but the fielding miscues did not come back to bite the Sooners.

The win was OU’s 53rd of the season against three losses and advanced the Sooners into the NCAA Super Regionals, with the Sooner serving as one of the four host sites.

The Sooners, the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Softball Championship and the two-time defending national champions, will host No. 13 Arkansas in the Norman Super Regional next weekend. The winner of that best two-out-of-three series will advance to the Women’s College World Series.

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