Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma softball: Sooners go bombs away in season opener

By Chip Rouse

DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball amid a collection of softball bats during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball amid a collection of softball bats during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma softball team made up for lost time in its season opener on Thursday and set an NCAA single game home run record in the procress.

Seven different Sooners accounted for a combined 16 home runs as Oklahoma posted 29-0 and 9-0 shutout victories over the University of Texas-El Paso and Abilene Christian in the 2021 season opener

Oklahoma exploded for 13 runs in the first inning of the opening game against UTEP and put the game away for good with nine more tallies in the fourth, while OU starter Giselle Juarez and Olivia Rains allowed just two hits and faced just two batters over 15-hitter limit in a five-inning-shortened game by run rule.

Freshman second baseman Tiara Jennings made her college debut with four home runs and seven RBI in the two games, and junior shortstop Grace Lyons matched her teammate with four dingers of her own and nine runs batted of her own.

In addition to Jennings and Lyons, outfielder Jocelyn Alo, first-baseman Kinzie Hansen and outfielder Nicole Mendes each clubbed a pair of homers for the Sooners on Thursday and Jayda Coleman and Mckenzie Donihoo both had solo blasts as part of the record-setting performance.

Freshman right-hander Nicole May made her first collegiate start in the second game against Abilene Christian and allowed just one hit over four innings. Macy McAdoo came on to finish out the game in the fifth for OU’s second run-rule win of the day.

The Sooners set a couple of NCAA records in their pair of shutouts on opening day:

  • Most home runs by a team in a single game (13).
  • Tied the record for home runs in an inning with five in both the first and fourth frames against UTEP.

The No. 4-ranked Sooners combined for 38 runs on 35 hits in the two games, while holding their two opponents to no runs and just three combined hits.

Oklahoma will face the same two teams on Friday to conclude the two-day, season-opening Miner Invitational in far west Texas.

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