Top-seeded Sooners Storm Past ISU into Big 12 Championship Game

Friday, May 12

Oklahoma City, Okla.

1 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

50-1

Iowa State

25-30

Iowa State

Oklahoma

Top-seeded Sooners Storm Past ISU into Big 12 Championship Game

May 12, 2023 | Softball

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OKLAHOMA CITY — No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma raced past No. 5 seed Iowa State in Friday's Big 12 Softball Championship semifinal, winning 9-0 in five innings.

OU (50-1, 18-0) was firing on all cylinders, blasting a pair of home runs and registering 10 hits in the contest, while the pitching staff and Sooner defense allowed ISU (25-30, 6-12) just one hit in their nation-best 30th shutout of the season.

The win pushed Oklahoma's nation-best win streak to 42 games, setting a program record and moving into sole possession of second all-time in NCAA history. The Sooners are just five games shy of the all-time record (47) set by 1995-96 Arizona.

The Sooners advanced to their seventh straight Big 12 tournament title game and aim for their eighth tourney title in program history Saturday.

Oklahoma came out swinging, putting up crooked numbers in the first three innings of the game, starting with a three-run first.

Following a leadoff double from Big 12 Player of the Year Jayda Coleman, walk to fellow All-Big 12 First Team selection Tiare Jennings and walk to sophomore Cydney Sanders, super senior Grace Lyons ripped an RBI single to right center to score one. Two at-bats later, junior Alyssa Brito doubled to left center to score a pair, nearly scoring a trio before Haley Lee was ruled out at home after review.

Moving to the second inning, OU pitcher Alex Storako settled in and struck out two after surrendering a pair of walks. In the bottom frame of the inning, the Sooners put four more runs on the board, highlighted by a Lyons three-run blast. Jennings plated OU's other run of the inning on an RBI single down the right line. Lyons' homer was her seventh of the season and 57th of her career, moving her into sole possession of sixth in OU annals.

After Storako retired the side in order at the top of the third, Oklahoma plated two more in the bottom half of the inning. Following a single from senior Rylie Boone, Coleman lifted her team-leading 14th home run of the season to right field, scoring two more for OU. It marked the 24th multi-home run game of the season for the Sooners.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal entered the circle for OU in the fourth and retired the side with help from her defense. Redshirt freshman Quincee Lilio made an exceptional diving grab in left field foul territory before inserted catcher Sophia Nugent threw out a runner trying to steal.

A quiet bottom fourth for OU ensued before Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Jordy Bahl entered for the Sooners with one away in the fifth. Bahl struck out the final two batters to advance Oklahoma into Saturday's championship game.

Six Sooners registered a hit in the contest with Coleman, Jennings, Lyons and Lee all putting up multi-hit contests. Lyons paced OU in a 2-for-2, one home run, four RBI performance. It was the senior captain's first four-plus RBI game of the season.

In the circle, Storako, Deal and Bahl combined on a one-hitter, allowing the Cyclones just three baserunners in the contest.

Storako earned the win to move to 17-0, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing no runs or hits to go with three strikeouts and two walks. Deal went 1.1 innings and surrendered one hit, no runs or walks. Bahl closed for OU in the fifth with a scoreless 0.2 IP and two strikeouts.

The Sooners meet the winner of Friday's second semifinal between No. 2-seed Texas and No. 7-seed Kansas on Saturday for the Big 12 Championship, set to begin at 12 p.m. CT, a change from its originally-scheduled 2 p.m. start due to forecasted inclement weather. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard via 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity Network app.

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