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Oklahoma softball: No. 1 Sooners sweep 5 games allowing just 3 runs total

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) watches after hitting a home run in the first inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Auburn Tigers at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Saturday, March 18, 2023.Ou Softball Vs Auburn
Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) watches after hitting a home run in the first inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Auburn Tigers at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Saturday, March 18, 2023.Ou Softball Vs Auburn /
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The top-ranked Oklahoma softball team added a couple more ranked teams to its victim list in sweeping through five wins in the Hall of Fame Classic in Oklahoma City over the weekend.

The Sooners (27-1) capped off another strong weekend featuring both offensive and defensive excellence with a 7-1 win over No. 22 Auburn on Sunday. It was OU’s second win over Auburn in consecutive days, having shut out the Tigers 14-0 in a run-rule victory on Saturday behind a four-hit pitching gem by sophomore Jordy Bahl and four home runs, three of which came in the opening inning.

Oklahoma defeated Weber State twice, winning 9-1 in five innings on Friday and 16-0 in five innings on Saturday. The Sooners most competitive game of the weekend was a 2-1 win against No. 24 Northwestern in the second half of a Friday doubleheader.

Three of the five Sooner wins in Oklahoma City over the weekend were decided by run rule, increasing the number of Oklahoma wins in games that were ended before a full seven innings to 16 this season. The Sooners have also recorded 17 shutout wins this season and six more in which just one run was allowed, underscoring their overall dominance.

Alex Storako, a transfer from Michigan, started three of OU’s five weekend games and improved her season record to 10-0. In 11 innings of work, allowed just one earned run and three hits while striking out 24, including an 11-strikeout performance in the 7-1 win over Auburn on Sunday.

Nicole May (8-0) earned the win over Northwestern in a complete-game performance, and Bahl improved to 7-1, going the five-inning distance in the 14-0, four-hit, shutout win over Auburn.

In what is becoming a regular weekend stat line, the defending national champion Sooners outscored their five opponents in the Hall of Fame Classic 48-3 and outhit them 57-13.

Oklahoma’s run differential for the season is now an overwhelming 252-14 in 28 games, and the Sooners have are 10-0 over ranked teams.

Entering the five-game OKC tournament, Oklahoma was tied for fourth nationally with 38 home runs in 23 games. The Sooners improved on that total knocking 11 balls out of the park over the weekend. Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings and Grace Lyons each slugged two apiece.

Oklahoma enters Big 12 play this weekend with a three-game series at Iowa State (11-13).

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