Sooners Take Two on First Day of Omni HOF Classic

Friday, March 17

Oklahoma City, Okla.

4 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

23-1

Weber State

6-17

Weber State

Oklahoma

Sooners Take Two on First Day of Omni HOF Classic

March 17, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Highlights Box: OU 9, WSU 1 (5)Box: OU 2, NU 1 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

OKLAHOMA CITY — No. 1 Oklahoma took two on the first day of the Omni Hall of Fame Classic in Oklahoma City, beating Weber State 9-1 in five innings before a 2-1 victory over RV/#24 Northwestern.

The day was highlighted by a two-homer showing from junior Alyssa Brito vs. Weber State and a complete-game, 10-strikeout gem from junior Nicole May in the nightcap vs. Northwestern.

"They're made that way, they're made like champions," said OU head coach Patty Gasso on the team's resilience on the day. "If someone pushes them, they're gonna push them back harder, and that's what I feel about them every day they play. And today, we would really all tell you wasn't our best day of softball, offensively specifically. But we've been in a grind. This has been a long week, a very intense week with the Florida State game, so we're hoping to get home and get rested and just rejuvenate through tomorrow and be a little bit more alive."

In the day's first game, the Sooners fell behind in the first inning after a solo home run from WSU's McKell McCuistion. It was just the second homer OU freshman starting pitcher Kierston Deal has given up on the season. After a scoreless second inning, OU's offense came alive in the third with four runs on three hits.

Following a single from redshirt freshman Quincee Lilio and walk to junior Tiare Jennings, a two-run double from senior Kinzie Hansen opened things up. The next at-bat, Alyssa Brito hit a two-run home run for the first of two blasts the junior hit in the contest.

With a 4-1 lead headed to the bottom of the fifth, the Sooners plated five runs to walk the game off in run-rule fashion, their 14th win by run rule this season. A Jennings single set the stage for Brito to launch her second home run of the game on a two-run shot to left field. A single from senior Alynah Torres, walk to sophomore Cydney Sanders and single from super senior captain Grace Lyons set up a bases-loaded opportunity for junior Jayda Coleman. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Coleman ripped a three-run double to walk it off, 9-1, in five innings.

After entering in the top of the third, redshirt senior Alex Storako (8-0) earned the win in an impressive three innings pitched, seven-strikeout performance, allowing no runs or walks and just one hit.

At the plate, Jennings, Brito and Torres all had multi-hit games with Brito bringing in a career-best four runs.

In game two, a pitcher's duel ensued between OU's May and Northwestern's Lauren Boyd. OU plated single runs in the second and sixth innings while the Wildcats scored their lone run via homer in the seventh.

After returning from a seven-game absence in the fourth inning of the day's first game vs. Weber State, Lyons started game two and made her presence felt in the field and at the plate, hitting a solo home run in the second inning to put OU on top. It was the All-American shortstop's first blast of 2023 and 51st of her career.

"Thankful to be back in the dugout atmosphere, to be in the locker room with everyone," said Lyons on her return. "I'm super thankful to be back with my team because I don't want to be any other place than in this dugout having energy, doing cheers, all that. It was an awesome game, Nicole May did amazing, fun to be behind and backing (her) up."

Following three scoreless innings, Oklahoma put up another run in the sixth from the Coleman and Jennings All-America duo. Coleman laced her fourth career triple down the right line to set up a sacrifice-fly RBI from Jennings that put OU up 2-0 through six.

After 49 shutout innings on the season, May surrendered her first earned run of 2023 on a solo blast from NU's Hannah Cady at the top of the seventh. The junior quickly retired the side after the long ball to collect her eighth win in the circle and OU's 24th win of the season.

May finished with a line of seven innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, one walk and one run allowed on three hits.

Coleman paced OU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and triple. Jennings and Lyons brought in OU's two runs in the contest.

The Sooners moved to 11-0 all-time at the Omni Hall of Fame Classic dating back to its inaugural edition in 2021.

Top-ranked OU returns to USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex for three more games on the weekend, beginning with a 4 p.m. CT game vs. Weber State and 6:30 p.m. first pitch vs. #19/22 Auburn on Saturday. The Sooners will close the Classic with a 2:30 p.m. rematch vs. Auburn on Sunday.

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