Oklahoma softball: No. 1 Sooners take Game 1 from No. 5 Texas 5-2

Jayda Coleman hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs and Sooner ace Kelly Maxwell pitched a complete game, two-hitter as the top-ranked Oklahoma softball team defeated No. 5 Texas in Game ! o their three-game series 5-2 on Friday night.

The Sooner (35-1,13-0) won their 17 consecutive game and eighth straight against Texas and stretched their Big 12 lead to four games over Texas (29-6, 9-4) and three games over second-place Oklahoma State

Maxwell went the distance for the Sooners, picking up her 11th win of the season. The Oklahoma State transfer struck out 10 and allowed just one hit and two walks leading into the seventh inning, when Texas produced its only two runs on two hits and a walk.

The game was scoreless after two innings, but Oklahoma broke the scoring drought with two runs on three hits in the third, and it could have been four. Cydney Sanders drew a walk, and Maya Bland entered the game to run for Sanders. Kinzie Hansen singled, and Bland advanced to third. Rylie Boone singled to right field, scoring Bland, but Hansen was called out for leaving first base early. That negated the Oklahoma run. Bland had to return to third base and Boone was called back to the plate.

Boone beat out a high-hopper to third while Bland held at third. Boone then stole second. Jayda Coleman hit a sharply hit single to left scoring bland, and Alyssa Brito hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Boone to give Oklahoma a 2-0 lead.

Coleman and Boone both had a pair of hits for Oklahoma, which won its 40th consecutive game over a Big 12 opponent.

OU and Texas will play Game 2 of the series at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.