No. 1/1 Oklahoma Sweeps Opening Day at Love’s Field

Friday, March 1

Norman

2:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

15-0

Miami (OH)

9-3

Miami (OH)

Oklahoma

Photo by: Oklahoma Athletics

No. 1/1 Oklahoma Sweeps Opening Day at Love’s Field

March 01, 2024 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

NORMAN – The No. 1/1 Oklahoma softball team opened Love's Field with wins over Miami (OH) and Liberty on Friday in Norman, earning its first two victories at the program's new stadium in front of a program-record home crowd of 4,450.

Graduate catcher Kinzie Hansen walked off Miami (9-3, 0-0 MAC) with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh in the stadium opener, earning OU (16-0, 0-0 Big 12) a 9-7 slugfest win. A gem from graduate left-hander Kelly Maxwell helped the Sooners to an 8-0 run-rule triumph in the nightcap as she fanned seven and allowed just two hits to Liberty (8-8, 0-0 CUSA).

Oklahoma's lineup produced 17 runs on 19 hits, 10 walks, nine extra-base hits and five home runs between the two games.

The Sooners extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 69 games with Friday's victories.

No. 1/1 Oklahoma 9, Miami (OH) 7

Oklahoma treated its record-breaking crowd to a thriller in the Love's Field opener, prevailing in exciting walk-off fashion.

Miami opened the scoring in the top half of the first with a pair of homers, plating three runs in the frame.

OU struck back in the home half as Jayda Coleman lifted a double down the left field line for Oklahoma's first hit in its new stadium. The Sooner centerfielder later scored courtesy of an Ella Parker sacrifice fly.

After scoreless frames in the second and third, Oklahoma cut its deficit to one in the fourth. Rylie Boone led off the inning with a beautifully placed bunt single before advancing to third courtesy of a Kinzie Hansen double that deflected off the shortstop's glove. Alynah Torres then plated Boone with a ground ball to the right side.

Karlie Keeney entered in the fourth and proceeded to retire seven of the first eight she faced, striking out a pair.

A towering solo blast to left off the bat of Sooner Alyssa Brito in the fifth knotted things at 3-3.

Hansen drew a free bass to open the sixth and advanced to second on a well-executed Avery Hodge sacrifice bunt. Pinch-hitter Riley Ludlam worked the count to 3-1 and laced a single up the middle, plating Hansen to give OU its first lead at Love's Field. Coleman and Kasidi Pickering followed with back-to-back home runs, extending Oklahoma's advantage to 7-3.

Miami responded with four in the seventh to make it 7-7 heading into the home half. SJ Geurin entered following three straight Miami home runs and worked around a one-out walk to escape the jam.

Boone opened the bottom of the seventh with a single, then Hansen launched a 2-2 offering into the left-center bleachers, earning Oklahoma the walk-off win in its Love's Field debut.

Nicole May struck out six over 3.2 innings while making the start in the circle for OU. Geurin earned her second win of the season with her scoreless seventh.

Brito (3-for-4, R, HR, RBI), Coleman (2-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), Boone (2-for-4, 2 R) and Hansen (2-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) each posted multi-hit games in the opener.

No. 1/1 Oklahoma 8, Liberty 0 (F/5)

Kelly Maxwell set the tone for OU in the nightcap, spinning a two-hit complete-game shutout as the Sooners run-ruled Liberty 8-0. The left-hander struck out seven, walked none and allowed just two hits to earn her fifth win of the season. She threw 45 of her 64 pitches for strikes (70.3%) and induced 13 swinging strikes for a 20.3% whiff rate.

Kasidi Pickering put OU on the board in the second inning, blasting her second home run of the day to right field. Oklahoma added five runs on three hits, two walks, two stolen bases, a pair of wild pitches and a Liberty error in a roller coaster fourth inning. Ludlam, Sanders and Coleman each drove in a run during the frame while Boone stole home on a failed squeeze play.

The Sooners earned the "walk-off" run-rule win in the fifth on an Alynah Torres two-run double blasted into the left-center gap.

Torres recorded a 2-for-2 day at the plate while Sanders tallied her 100th collegiate RBI in the win. OU earned its 10th shutout through its first 16 games of 2024 with the 8-0 blanking.

Love's Field Firsts

First OU hit: Jayda Coleman, 2B, 1st inning vs. Miami (OH)
First OU home run: Alyssa Brito, 5th inning vs. Miami (OH)
First OU run scored: Jayda Coleman, 1st inning vs. Miami (OH)
First OU RBI: Ella Parker, SF, 1st inning vs. Miami (OH)
First multi-hit game: Alyssa Brito vs. Miami (OH)
First three-hit game: Alyssa Brito vs. Miami (OH)
First OU stolen base: Rylie Boone and Cydney Sanders, home and 2B, 4th inning vs. Liberty
First strikeout: Nicole May, 0 out KS of Jenna Golebiewski, 1st inning vs. Miami (OH)
First complete game: Kelly Maxwell vs. Liberty
First shutout: Kelly Maxwell vs. Liberty

Up Next

OU returns to action at Love's Field on Saturday, March 2, with an 11 a.m. CT start against RV/RV Louisiana followed by a 1:45 p.m. CT first pitch in a rematch with Liberty. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+,107.7 FM The Franchise and 1560AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2.

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