OU Opens Courtyard Marriott Tourney with Two Wins

Friday, February 28

Norman

3:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

12-3

Northwestern

6-10

Northwestern

Oklahoma

OU Opens Courtyard Marriott Tourney with Two Wins

February 28, 2020 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 OU 8, NU 3 Highlights OU 4, ACU 2 Highlights SoonerSports.TV Live Stats Photo Gallery

By: Patrick Dunn

NORMAN — The No. 5/5 Oklahoma softball team (13-3) opened its home slate with two wins on Friday at Marita Hynes Field. The Sooners topped Northwestern 8-3 and Abilene Christian 4-2 to begin the Courtyard Marriott Tournament.

The OU bats were rolling on Friday, with a combined five home runs in the two games.

"The word I've been hearing since I walked in (to the locker room) is 'fun' and that is important to us," said OU head coach Patty Gasso. "We play well when we're enjoying what we're doing. Sometimes losses attribute to not having fun. And everything gets worse than maybe it really is. So to hear them enjoy their opportunities here on a home field in front of our home crowd. It still may not look beautiful, but they're wins. And that's all we're caring about right now.

"Everybody's just trying to step up and do their job with some of the things that we're going through."

Junior captain Lynnsie Elam led OU at the plate in game one, putting together a 2-for-3, three-RBI performance that included a home run.

The Sooners jumped out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of a Kinzie Hansen RBI-double and an Elam fielder's choice RBI. Northwestern plated two runs in the top of the third to tie the game before a big five-run burst from OU in the bottom of the inning. Following a hit-by-pitch, walk and fielder's choice, sophomore Grace Green laced a double down the left line to plate three. In the next at-bat, Elam launched her first homer of the day to left center to add two more runs and make the score 7-2.

The Sooners and Wildcats (6-10) each added a run in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, for the 8-3 final.

Freshman Macy McAdoo earned the win in game one to improve to 5-0 on the year. She gave up one earned run on three hits and two walks in 2.1 innings of work.

"Again, it's not perfect," said Gasso. "Our pitchers struggled some on the mound with control against Northwestern, but that's a very good team and Eliyah (Flores) making big-time plays at third, some very timely hitting had a lot to do with getting that big win. So right now, it's just finding ways to gut it out, get Ws and enjoy while we're going through the process."

Oklahoma came back 30 minutes later to top Abilene Christian (7-11) in its second game of the day. After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, junior Jocelyn Alo lined a double to right center before Hansen brought her in with a single to left in the bottom of the third to put the Sooners up 1-0.

OU opened things up in the bottom of the fourth. In a series of four at-bats, three Sooners hit solo home runs to make it 4-0. It began with an Elam shot to left, and two batters later junior Eliyah Flores notched her second career blast off the batter's eye in center field. Freshman Raylee Pogue followed with her first career home run on a no-doubter to right center.

Abilene Christian added a run in the fifth and sixth innings to make the final 4-2.

A pair of Sooners led OU in the box vs. ACU. Alo finished 2-for-3 with a double to extend her hitting streak to six games while Green also went 2-for-3 and added two stolen bases.

Redshirt freshman Brooke Vestal improved to 2-0 in the circle with a final line of two runs (both earned), four hits, two walks and a career-high five strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Senior Shannon Saile picked up her fifth save of the year, pitching a perfect seventh inning and registering one strikeout.

Oklahoma resumes action in the Courtyard Marriott Tournament Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT against North Texas (14-3). The Sooners will play another game Saturday at either 3 or 5:30 p.m., depending on the outcomes of the morning games.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at Soonersports.com/tickets.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.