Elam Walks Off Bears, No. 6 OU Posts Two Wins

Saturday, March 7

Norman

2:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

19-4

Murray State

12-9

Murray State

Oklahoma

Elam Walks Off Bears, No. 6 OU Posts Two Wins

March 07, 2020 | Softball

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NORMAN — The No. 6/6 Oklahoma softball team (20-4) added two more wins on Saturday, closing their weekend of competition at Marita Hynes Field with four wins and no losses.

The Sooners topped Murray State, 6-1, in the day's first game behind an exceptional performance from Brooke Vestal in the circle. The redshirt freshman went the entire seven innings for OU, giving up one run on three hits to go with a career-high eight strikeouts and no walks.

Two home runs off the bats of freshmen led the way for OU at the plate in game one. Freshman Kinzie Hansen went deep in the bottom of the third for her fourth homer of the season, while classmate Alycia Flores knocked the first blast of her career in the fourth inning.

In game two, senior captain Lynnsie Elam was the hero, walking off Missouri State on an RBI single to score Hansen in the bottom of the eighth inning and give the Sooners the 3-2 victory.

The scoring began in the day's first game for OU in the first inning on a sacrifice fly to left from Hansen to score sophomore Grace Lyons after she got aboard on a leadoff double.

Lyons got across again in the third inning, stealing home as Jocelyn Alo was caught stealing at second on the play. After the Hansen blast in the third, OU opened up a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, sophomore Kinsey Koeltzow reached on an error at third base and Flores batted her in with the first home run of her young career.

OU added another run in the fifth as Elam came across on a wild pitch to make it 6-0, OU.

The Racers (12-9) got just their second and third hits of the game in the sixth inning, including an RBI single from Sierra Gilmore to plate one runner and bring the final score to 6-1, Sooners.

Lyons and fellow sophomore Grace Green led OU at the dish with two hits apiece, while Hansen and Flores led the team with two runs batted in each.

The Sooners turned around to play Missouri State 30 minutes following their contest with Murray State.

The Bears (7-11) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a double down the left field line from Olivia Krehbiel that plated two runs.

After scoreless second and third innings, Alo opened up the scoring for OU with a leadoff solo blast to right field, her eighth of the season. Following an error that got Hansen aboard and a single from Green, Elam plated Hansen on an RBI groundout to tie the game at two.

A pitcher's duel ensued through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings between Steffany Dickerson for the Bears and Olivia Rains and Shannon Saile for the Sooners, with Dickerson and Rains giving up just one hit each in the three innings combined.

In extras, Hansen and Green got aboard in the bottom of the eighth on back-to-back walks before the co-captain, Elam, stepped to the plate and laced an RBI single to left to score Hansen and walk off the Bears.

Alycia Flores led OU in game two, going 2-for-3 for her fourth career game with multiple hits. Elam (2 RBI) and Alo (1 RBI) brought in the three OU runs in the contest. Alo extended her career-long hit streak to 14 games.

Dickerson had a strong game for MSU, going 7.1 innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits to go with five strikeouts and four walks.

Rains stepped up for OU, tying her career long with 5.0 innings pitched and surrendering just two runs (one earned) on two hits along with three strikeouts and one walk.

Saile entered in the sixth for the Sooners and registered the win, going three innings with six strikeouts and no hits, no runs and no walks.

Oklahoma continues its homestand next weekend with the third of three home tournaments, hosting New Mexico State, Houston and Kent State, March 13-15, at Marita Hynes Field.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at Soonersports.com/tickets or by phone at (800) 456-GoOU.

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