Torres Plates Four, Sooners Run-Rule Houston for 40th Win

Friday, April 19

Norman

6:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

40-4, 16-3

Houston

23-21, 3-16

Houston

Oklahoma

Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

Torres Plates Four, Sooners Run-Rule Houston for 40th Win

April 19, 2024 | Softball

Box Score

NORMAN – Senior second baseman Alynah Torres homered and drove in four as No. 2-ranked Oklahoma Softball run-ruled Houston 8-0 in six innings on Friday evening at Love's Field to become the first NCAA team to reach 40 wins in 2024.

The Sooners (40-4, 16-3 Big 12) recorded their 20th shutout and 24th run-rule win with the blanking of Houston (23-21, 3-16 Big 12). OU remains a full game ahead of Texas in the conference standings entering Saturday.

Senior shortstop Tiare Jennings moved into fourth in program history with her 293rd career hit, going 2-for-3 on the night with a run scored. She now shares fourth place with Houston head coach and former OU standout Kristin Vesely and needs 27 hits to reach Sydney Romero for third.

Graduate catcher Kinzie Hansen led the Sooners with three hits, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Jennings, Torres (2-for-2, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI), Jayda Coleman (2-for-4, BB, R, RBI) and Riley Ludlam (2-for-3) each added multi-hit efforts in the win.

Kelly Maxwell struck out five across 5.0 scoreless innings of work, improving to 14-1 on the year. She scattered three walks while limiting the Cougars to two hits, both singles. The left-hander's fourth strikeout of the evening marked her 100th of the season, giving her four straight campaigns with at least 100 punchouts.

Torres opened the scoring with a blistering three-run blast in the first for her eighth home run of the season. Oklahoma added one more in the third courtesy of a Cydney Sanders (0-for-2, BB, 2 RBI) run-scoring groundout to short.

The Sooners pushed their lead to 6-0 in the fourth with a sprinkling of small ball, beginning with a well-executed squeeze bunt by Torres. A fielder's choice put Hansen on third and Hannah Coor on first, then the duo perfectly performed a rundown play to draw a throw to second, allowing the former to score.

Karlie Keeney entered in the sixth and posted a shutout frame, working around a lone single.

Hansen led off the home half of the sixth with a single through the left side before going first-to-third on an Avery Hodge base hit into center. Quincee Lilio drew a walk two batters later to fill the bases for Sanders, who promptly worked a bases-loaded free pass to make it 7-0 Sooners. Coleman provided the "walk-off" win following a fielder's choice, lacing the game-winning single into left-center to plate Lilio.

OU out-hit Houston 12-3 on the night and coaxed seven walks off the Cougar staff.

Up Next

OU continues its series on Saturday, April 20 at Love's Field with a 6 p.m. CT start against Houston. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as airing on 1560 AM/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.