Home Conference Slate Opens with Win

Baylor

^2/2Oklahoma

Box Score

Highlights

Photos

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Juarez (15-0)	5.0	5	5	5	1	7
L - Holman (10-11)	6.0	7	7	7	3	1
S - Saile (4)	2.0	0	0	0	0	3

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
BU - Ellis	3	2	2	3	0	2
OU - Romero	3	2	3	3	0	1

NORMAN – The No. 2/2 Oklahoma softball team opened its 2019 home conference slate with a 7-5 victory over Baylor on Friday night at Marita Hynes Field.

With the win, the Sooners (33-2, 4-0 Big 12) extended their NCAA-leading winning streak to 23 straight wins, tied for the fourth-longest win streak in program history.

Oklahoma has also won 29 consecutive Big 12 games, extending a program record. Additionally, its 44 straight victories at Marita Hynes Field is one win shy of matching the longest home winning streak in school annals.

Sydney Romero powered the Sooner offense against Baylor (15-19, 2-6 Big 12) on Friday, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. She hit her second triple and 14^th home run of the season; she now owns 48 career homers to tie for sixth-most in OU history.

"Syd was without question the star of the game, both defensively and offensively," OU head coach Patty Gasso said. "She made some really good plays on defense that might get overshadowed by her hitting the ball so hard."

She started the Sooner offense on a high note, opening the bottom of the first with a triple off the center-field wall. Caleigh Clifton hit a sacrifice fly to bring Romero home.

The Lady Bears tied it up in the top of the second as Taylor Ellis hit a solo home run to left.

OU went back on top in the bottom of the frame as Romero contributed to two more Sooner runs. With the bases loaded and two outs, Romero singled up the middle to score Grace Lyons and Lynnsie Elam.

In the bottom of the third, Clifton hit a triple to right center before Shay Knighten drove her in with a double through the right side.

Jocelyn Alo then crushed her seventh home run of the season, clearing the bleachers in right field to score a pair.

Ellis hit her second home run of the day in the top of the fourth, a two-run shot that made it a 6-3 game.

Romero responded with a homer of her own, crushing a solo shot to left center.

The slug fest continued in the top of the sixth when BU's Kassidy Krupit hit a two-run homer to right center. Shannon Saile then entered the circle and shut down the Baylor offense, retiring the next three batters in order to end the inning.

Saile earned her fourth save of the season, retiring all six batters she faced over 2.0 innings of work. Entering the weekend leading the country in strikeouts per seven innings pitched, Saile fanned three on Friday night.

Giselle Juarez remained undefeated on the year, improving to 15-0 overall. She surrendered five runs on five hits with seven strikeouts over 5.0 innings.

"I think in Big 12 play any win is a good win, so whether we feel like we played our best, it's still a good win," Gasso said. "I give credit to Baylor for fighting for a team that has missed some of their really great players."

Game two between OU and Baylor is set for 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.