OU softball: Torres' grand slam propels Sooners to win over Baylor in OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY — Patty Gasso saw an opportunity for the Sooners to seize control against Baylor.

After being locked into a 1-1 tie through the top of the fifth, a Tiare Jennings two-run home run gave the Sooners a 3-1 lead. A walk from Riley Ludlam forced Ella Parker home, and it pushed the lead to three runs while keeping the bases loaded with only one out.

Gasso made a decision, inserting Alynah Torres as a pinch hitter. Torres immediately delivered, sending a grand slam to left field to cap off a seven-run frame in the fifth inning.

That proved to be the final nail, as the Sooners used that explosive inning en route to an 8-1 run on Friday at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

In a critical moment, Gasso turned to Torres, who has hit the ball as well as anyone on the Sooners' roster in recent weeks. The grand slam marked Torres' eighth-straight game with a hit.

"No-brainer is what it was," Gasso said of the decision to pinch hit Torres. "It’s tough for both of those athletes (at second base) between her and Avery Hodge because they both bring different offenses to us. Avery might have a little more range defensively. Alynah has a little more power. You pick where you need them both. Alynah is showing – she came off the bench with the big hit, but she’s showing she needs to be in the game because she’s hot.

"Now we have another wonderful problem that is going to benefit us. That’s the beauty of this team right now. As long as they can stay with us and not let their emotions get involved, we’re going to do some wonderful things. That spot at second that they’re sharing has been a cool thing to watch play itself out."

Here's notes and takeaways from the Sooners' series-opening win over Baylor:

— Jennings' leadoff double into left field to start the third inning moved her into the history books.

She is now the all-time program leader in career doubles with 59, surpassing Sydney Romero.

"I just wanted to get the energy started," Jennings said. "I know we were hitting the ball well. But just to be the leadoff and hit the double and get the team going — (I) looked in the dugout and saw their excitement for me. Heard the crowd and how much it meant to start that inning. It was just a good moment to get the party started."

Jennings finished the game going three for three at the plate with two RBIs, a run and a walk.

— The official attendance for the game was 8,798, marking the second-highest attendance for a regular season game in college softball history.

— Kelly Maxwell again earned the start to open a conference series and delivered, throwing four strikeouts while surrendering just three hits and one run in 5.1 innings.

But Gasso turned to Paytn Monticelli to close it out in relief. Monticelli, marking her first appearance in conference play, allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings and retired the side in the final frame.

"It was important," Gasso said of Monticelli's appearance. "We try to get everyone an opportunity on the field in this environment. Just hopefully we're back here in this kind of environment and it'll be a little bit easier to play in.

"As much as the freshmen didn't want to admit. I felt that they were a little unsettled to start and then I felt like they started to get the feeling of where they were, but for our pitchers it's important and Paytn is one that I don't know has seen it as much as some of the others so she handled it really well."

— Riley Boone logged a season-high three hits, and it was her hit in the second inning that scored Cydney Sanders to put the first run on the board.

— Riley Ludlam again replaced Kinzie Hansen, who's nursing a knee injury, as the team's starting catcher. Ludlam recorded a run and an RBI and was also walked twice. She's now been walked 12 times in the last five games.

— Next up: The Sooners return to Love's Field at 2 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+) for the second game against Baylor.