Conference Slate Opens with Road Win

^2/2Oklahoma

^14/12Texas Tech

Box Score

Highlights

Photos

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
OU	1	0	2	2	0	0	0	5	7	0
TTU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Juarez (12-0)	5.2	3	1	1	4	6
L - Zoch (10-1)	4.0	5	5	5	4	4

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Aviu	3	1	2	2	1	1
TTU - Hamilton	3	1	2	0	1	0

LUBBOCK, Texas – In its Big 12 opener, the No. 2/2 Oklahoma softball team took down No. 14/12 Texas Tech 5-1 on Friday at Rocky Johnson Field.

With the win, the Sooners (27-2, 1-0 Big 12) have now won 26 consecutive Big 12 regular season games, dating back to 2017. The 26-conference-win streak is now the longest in program history.

"I was proud of the way we came out in the first inning and got on the board," OU head coach Patty Gasso said. "There was some timely hitting and some very good defense today... It was a good first win."

Falepolima Aviu led the Sooner offense on Friday, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run and a homer. Grace Green and Nicole Mendes both finished with two hits, while Mendes drove in a pair of runs.

The Sooners got on the board in the top of the first. With runners on the corners, Sydney Romero hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Caleigh Clifton. It was the 10th sac fly of Romero's career, putting her in third place all-time in OU history.

Texas Tech (27-3, 0-1 Big 12) responded in the bottom of the frame as Jessica Hartwell hit an RBI triple to tie the game.

Nicole Mendes put the Sooners back in the lead in the top of the third, tripling to right field to score Shay Knighten and Green. It marked the ninth triple of Mendes' career and the first of her junior season.

With one runner on in the fourth, Aviu drilled a homer to left field to extend Oklahoma's advantage to four. The blast was Aviu's sixth of the year, marking the senior's highest single-season total since hitting eight in 2016.

In the circle, junior Giselle Juarez remained undefeated in 2019, improving to 12-0. She allowed one run on three hits while striking out six and walking four.

Classmate Shannon Saile closed the final 1.1 innings, surrendering no runs or hits while striking out three.

The series continues on Saturday with a 4 p.m. contest at Rocky Johnson Field.