Oklahoma softball: No. 2 Sooners hammer Kansas, advance to Big 12 semifinals vs. BYU

The Oklahoma softball offense struck early and often, scoring 10 runs in the first three innings, in a 10-1 run-rule win over Kansas on Thursday afternoon to advance to the semifinal round of the Big 12 Softball Championship.

OU looked like the Sooner teams of old, scoring five runs in the first inning and following that with three more in the second and a pair of runs in the third to pretty much finish off a game but overmatched Jayhawk squad. Kansas advanced to face the 48-6 Sooners by defeating Houston 6-5 in the opening round.

This game looked as if it might go in a different direction with Kansas getting three consecutive singles and a run in with nobody out to start the game against OU starter Kelly Maxwell. But Maxwell, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma State, settled down in the circle and managed to get out of the inning without any further damage. leaving two runners stranded on base. When Maxwell faced Kansas earlier this season, she took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

The three hits the Jayhawks got to start the game were the only hits allowed in the game by Maxwell and Paytn Monticelli, who entered the game in the fourth inning in relief of Maxwell.

Oklahoma sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring five times on four hits, the big blows being a double by Alyssa Brito bringing in the first two Sooner runs and a double by Kinzie Hansen three hitters later scoring Brito. Jayda Coleman hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning, her 12th of the season.

OU recorded nine of its 10 hits in the first three innings with Ella Parker, Brito and Rylie Boone each collecting two hits apiece.

At the beginning of the fourth inning, Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso began to unload her bench making wholesale lineup substitutions.

It was Oklahoma's 22nd run-rule win of the season and 23rd consecutive win over the Kansas Jayhawks. The Sooners swept the three-game series with Kansas earlier this season by a combined score of 30-4.

While the Sooners were hoping for another shot at Oklahoma State, which took two of three from OU last weekend, they will have to settle for BYU in their semifinal matchup. Although Oklahoma won the regular-season series against the Cougars, new to the Big 12 this season. the Cougars were responsible for one of the Sooners five conference losses with a 9-4 win in Norman.

No. 6 BYU upset No. 3 OSU 7-2 in the game just ahead of Oklahoma's on Thursday. So there will be no opportunity for Bedlam payback this season unless it were to happen in the Women's College World Series.