ORLANDO, Fla. – University of Oklahoma softball head coach
Patty Gasso became the third NCAA coach to reach 1,500 career wins as the No. 2-ranked Sooners earned a series win with a 2-1 win over UCF on Saturday afternoon in Orlando.
Oklahoma (44-4, 20-3 Big 12) received a complete-game gem from left-hander
Kierston Deal as the southpaw held UCF (28-20, 10-13 Big 12) to just two hits on the afternoon. OU's "magic number" moves to four for an outright Big 12 championship and three for a share of the title.
Sooner shortstop
Tiare Jennings (1-for-3, R, HR, RBI) blasted her 90th career home run to provide the game's first tally in the fourth, becoming just the eighth player in NCAA history to reach the milestone.
Kinzie Hansen (0-for-2, BB, R) followed by drawing a walk, then
Ella Parker (1-for-2, BB, 2B, RBI) laced a double into the right-center gap to make it 2-0 Sooners.
Deal starred in the circle, allowing a lone unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out four. She needed just 92 pitches to complete 7.0 innings, improving to 11-1 on the season. The southpaw has now won 11 of her last 12 starts, allowing just three earned over 57.0 innings for a 0.37 ERA in that span.
Gasso's 1,500th DI win improves her career record to 1,500-349-2 (.811) at Oklahoma.
Up Next
OU and UCF close their series on Sunday, April 28 with an 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) start. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with radio coverage on 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2.
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