Upcoming Event: Softball versus Battle Series - 1 on October 3, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
Softball
vs Battle Series - 1
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sunday, February 12
Las Vegas, Nev.
11:00 AM
University of Oklahoma
11
vs
1
Kent State
Oklahoma Closes Perfect Opening Weekend
February 12, 2012 | Softball
  11 |
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 1 |
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A senior, Allen spent her first three seasons at OU as a backup pitcher and had only seven appearances at the plate entering the 2012 season, all coming last season, and had been working on a transformation at the plate. Allen had five at-bats in three of OU's first four games this year and had collected four hits, but on Sunday she exploded with three hits, including her first collegiate home run, and five runs batted in.
The Buena Park, Calif., native was perfect in her four appearances at the plate with a walk in the second inning before driving in Oklahoma's first run in the fourth, knocking in Javen Henson with a single to left field. OU didn't have a run in the fifth but when Allen returned to the plate in the sixth with Henson and Destinee Martinez on second and third, respectively, she drove a 1-1 pitch to left field for a double and two more RBIs.
The seventh inning saw the Oklahoma lineup follow Allen's lead at the plate. Brianna Turang singled to lead off the inning before stealing second and advancing to third on a Jessica Shults single. Following a Keilani Ricketts walk to load the bases, Brittany Williams sent a full count pitch to left field to score Oklahoma's fourth run of the game. Martinez followed with a double that sent pinch runner Kelley Reeves and Shults to the plate and Williams to third.
Following a Henson sacrifice bunt that scored Williams and advanced Martinez to third, Allen came to the plate for the fourth time of the game and this time she sent a 2-0 pitch deep over the center field fence for her first collegiate home run. With the bases empty Jessica Vest walked on five pitches and scored when freshman Lauren Chamberlain cracked her third home run in five games to plate OU's final two runs.
“I've been working a lot on my hitting this year and we see so much live pitching during practice so that really helps. It's about coming out and feeling confident at the plate and I've been seeing the ball really well,” said Allen. “I hit a little last year but this year we really started taking it serious. I didn't expect it (home run) to go out and still sprinted to first. I was really excited when I realized it.”
Ricketts took her third win of the season for Oklahoma, striking out eight while giving up just one run on one hit in six innings of work. The win is Ricketts' 64th career win as she moved to No. 7 on the OU victories list, just three behind Lana Moran (1997-2000) at No. 6. Michelle Gascoigne pitched the seventh inning for OU, striking out two of the three batters she faced.
Kent State grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first as Ricketts issued Kim Kirkpatrick a walk before the KSU left fielder stole second and was sent home on a sacrifice fly to right. The score remained the same until Allen began her hitting explosion.
The win moves Oklahoma to 5-0 after the opening weekend which marks the ninth time under Gasso that Oklahoma has started the season by winning its first five games and the first since her 2007 team won its first 23 games of the season.
Oklahoma returns to action on Friday at the ACC/Big 12/SEC Challenge in Auburn, Ala. The No. 5 Sooners will take on Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech before facing No. 3 Alabama and Auburn on Saturday.
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