OKLAHOMA CITY — In the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, it was early offense that propelled Oklahoma to an easy win over Iowa State.

It took just a bit longer for that offense to get going on Saturday against Texas in the championship game.

Outside of a Haley Lee solo home run in the second inning, the Sooners recorded just one hit through the first three innings. The Longhorns got their own solo home run from Viviana Martinez in the top of fourth, which tied the game at 1-1 entering the bottom of the frame.

That’s when the Sooners found their offense.

After hitting a double to right center that scored Lee, Alyssa Brito scored on a wild pitch to give the Sooners a two-run cushion. Rylie Boone then hit a single up the middle that scored Jordy Bahl, giving the Sooners a 4-1 lead heading into fifth.

A pair of runs from Avery Hodge and Bahl in the sixth inning sealed the win, as the Sooners defeated Texas 6-1 to secure the Big 12 Championship at USA Hall of Fame Stadium.

“At the plate, I think we had a little bit of a slow start and then we really started to fire on all cylinders about the fourth inning on,” OU coach Batty Gasso said. “I loved what Jordy did coming in. Haley Lee was just outstanding this weekend. I really loved our 5-6-7-8-9 (batters), they did a good job of coming in and getting some really timely hits. So just a really clean game. We played really well.”

The win pushes the No. 1-ranked Sooners to 51-1 on the season and increases their winning streak to 43. They’ve also essentially locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs with the opportunity to host both the regional and super regional tournaments.

Here’s three other takeaways from the Sooners’ win over Texas:

1. Lee propels Sooners, named as tournament’s Most Outstanding Player

It could’ve been a different game had Lee not found a rhythm on offense.

Lee’s second-inning home run — also her 13th of the season — gave the Sooners an early lead, and it was her single in the fourth inning that helped create momentum.

She was the Sooners’ most consistent offensive player in the tournament, finishing 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs. After the game, she was announced as the Big 12 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Bahl, Brito, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings and Grace Lyons were also named to the team.

“​​It was exciting,” Lee said. “First time in the Big 12 tournament, so that was an exciting moment for me. Just getting to see everybody contribute and get to swing the bat hard and our pitchers shutting down teams, that's exciting. That's something you're ready to get behind and just keep fighting for. It was good to see everything work out this weekend.”

2. Bahl, not just a pitcher

One of the biggest plays of the game started with Bahl, but it wasn’t when she was on the mound.

With OU leading 4-1 in the sixth inning, Bahl made contact with the pitch that dropped in the outfield and scored Hodge. She eventually made her way to third base after an error by Texas.

On the next at-bat, Bahl used her speed to find home plate after Kinzie Hansen grounded out to third base. Bahl finished the day with one hit and two runs.

Bahl hasn’t had a ton of opportunities on offense this season — she has just 33 at-bats — but has made the most of them, recording 14 hits and eight RBIs.

“Just kind of be ready for anything,” Bahl said of her mentality. “I think all parts of the game are really fun. Whenever I have the opportunity to do something besides just pitch, it's really fun. But also we have a bunch of girls that do all of those things very, very , very well. So it's fun to watch them do it too. But like you said, always be ready.”

Of course she made an impact on the mound, too. She pitched three innings in relief of Nicole May, surrendering just two hits and no runs while recording three strikeouts.

3. Sooners’ defense continues to dominate

While it took the offense sometime to get going, the game was never in doubt thanks to the Sooners’ defense.

The Longhorns recorded just five hits as a team, as May and Bahl held the Texas offense at bay despite Martinez’ home run.

“We have a really special (pitching) staff,” Bahl said. “Throughout the entire season, we've kind of been all working on staying in our routines and finding our rhythm and knowing what helps each other get back into that. So whenever one is out on the mound, it's always three that are right there behind her in the dugout.”

* Up next: The Sooners await the selection show at 6 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2 to find out the regional tournament assignments. The regional tournament begins next Friday.