Townsend's Slam Caps Perfect Home Weekend

Sunday, March 13

Norman

12:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

Maryland

Townsend's Slam Caps Perfect Home Weekend

March 13, 2016 | Softball

By: Karl Anderson

Maryland

^13/14 Oklahoma

Box Score

Highlights

Photo Gallery

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
UMD	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	0	2	2
OU	0	3	2	0	1	5	x	11	15	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Parker (7-2)	3.2	1	0	0	0	2
L - Nation (2-11)	5.0	11	7	5	2	0
S - N/A	-	-	-	-	-	-

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Townsend	3	2	2	4	1	1
UMD - Ellazar	2	0	1	0	1	0

Game Notes
Oklahoma is now 2-0 all-time against Maryland ... Oklahoma has won nine straight games, a season-high ... the win was OU's eighth by run-rule this season and ninth via shutout ... the team is 7-0 at home this season ... senior Paris Townsend made her first season of the season (1B) and finished 2-3 with two runs scored, a walk and her second career grand slam ... she tied career highs in both hits (2) and RBI (4) ... sophomore Lea Wodach pushed her hitting streak to a career-high 14 games by going 1-3 ... senior Kady Self hit her first home run of the season and started in left field for the first time this season after starting the first 20 games at first base ... sophomore Lea Wodach made her first career start in center field

Game Notes

Oklahoma is now 2-0 all-time against Maryland ... Oklahoma has won nine straight games, a season-high ... the win was OU's eighth by run-rule this season and ninth via shutout ... the team is 7-0 at home this season ... senior Paris Townsend made her first season of the season (1B) and finished 2-3 with two runs scored, a walk and her second career grand slam ... she tied career highs in both hits (2) and RBI (4) ... sophomore Lea Wodach pushed her hitting streak to a career-high 14 games by going 1-3 ... senior Kady Self hit her first home run of the season and started in left field for the first time this season after starting the first 20 games at first base ... sophomore Lea Wodach made her first career start in center field

NORMAN – If every Oklahoma senior is going to perform on their Senior Day like Paris Townsend did Sunday, then the Sooners should be in for a fun home campaign in 2016.

On a day celebrating her OU career, which included a giveaway of 250 posters with her likeness to fans, Townsend made her first start of the season and went 2-3 at the plate with two runs scored and a walk-off grand slam as No. 13/14 Oklahoma (17-4) capped a perfect 5-0 weekend at home with an 11-0, six-inning win over Maryland (7-17).

A native of Tulsa, Okla., Townsend tied a career high in both hits (2) and RBI (4). She was one of four Sooners to have more than one hit in the game and, as a team, OU pounded out 15 hits.

The win was the ninth in a row for the Sooners, and they remain undefeated at Marita Hynes Field this year with a 7-0 record.

Three Oklahoma pitchers combined on the two-hit shutout.

Freshman Brittany Finney made her third career start and got the first six outs. She allowed one hit and walked three while striking out two. Senior Kelsey Stevens came on to pitch the third. She walked two and struck out one before sophomore Paige Parker was brought in.

Parker threw the final 3.2 innings and was awarded the victory to improve to 7-2 on the season. She allowed one hit and struck out two without giving up a run or walk.

A three-run second inning staked OU to an early lead.

It all started when senior Kady Self launched her first home run of the season to left field. It was No. 17 in her career, the most among active Sooner players.

Freshman Caleigh Clifton then hit a ground ball up the middle and hustled her way into second for a double. She then stole third as Townsend stood in the batter's box. A walk to Townsend put runners on the corners for senior Whitney Montgomery, who drove in Clifton with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt.

Later in the inning with the bases loaded, thanks in part to a Maryland fielding error, sophomore Lea Wodach extended OU's lead to 3-0 when she singled through the left side. Wodach's hitting streak is now at 14 games, the longest of her career.

Oklahoma added two more runs in the third inning thanks to a two-out rally.

After a pair of flyouts, Townsend got the rally started when she singled through the left side. Montgomery followed her with an infield single to short. Freshman Sydney Romero made it three straight singles when she sent a grounder up the middle, scoring Townsend and moving Montgomery to third.

OU got its fifth run as a result of another Maryland error as shortstop Sky Ellazar was unable to cleanly field a grounder, allowing Montgomery to score from third.

Another two-out rally in the fifth added a run for the Sooners.

Batting with two outs after a flyout and lineout, Montgomery kept the inning alive for the Sooners with a single through the left side. Sophomore Nicole Pendley followed with a single through the right side, and Arnold drove home Montgomery with a single through the left side to push the lead to 6-0.

The Sooners then recorded their eighth run-rule win of the year, and third of the weekend, with a five-run sixth inning.

Senior Erin Miller led off with a double and scored when freshman Shay Knighten delivered a pinch-hit, RBI single. Self then singled, as did senior pinch-hitter Tori Nirschl to fill the bases. That brought Townsend back to the plate and on the first pitch she saw she cranked a grand slam to the bleachers in right center.

It was her first home run of the season and the fifth of her career. Of her five homers, two have now been grand slams, as she also hit one last year against Utah Valley on May 3.

Oklahoma closes out its eight-game homestand this Wednesday with a rematch against No. 19/17 Minnesota. The two teams opened the season against one another in Las Vegas on Feb. 12 with the Golden Gophers capturing a 1-0 victory. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.