Advertisement
other sports Edit

OU thumps Texas in front of record crowd

OKLAHOMA CITY – It was something that was talked about throughout the week when it came to Oklahoma and Texas softball. Just how big was that crowd going to be at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium?

Now we know, as big as advertised. An NCAA single-game record attendance of 8,930 showed up to watch the No. 1-ranked Sooners show why they’re who they are in an 8-1 win vs. No. 9 Texas on Friday evening in the first of a three-game set this weekend.

Games two and three will be 11 a.m. in Norman on Saturday and Sunday.

It wasn’t anything strange or unusual for the Sooners. Some timely hits, including three home runs, and another stellar pitching outing to move to 31-1 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play. Elite atmosphere, but still business as usual.


The Sooners routed the Longhorns in front of 8,930 fans Friday night in Oklahoma City
The Sooners routed the Longhorns in front of 8,930 fans Friday night in Oklahoma City (Imagn)

This time around in the circle it was Jordy Bahl. After allowing a solo home run to begin the game, the sophomore was lights out. Bahl pitched a complete game, going seven innings and allowing just two hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

“I think she really thrives and strives in pressure situations,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “She threw well and ended up being a little more efficient towards the last couple innings, without question. To hold them to two hits and one run, which happened in the first? Shows you that she had a good handle on things.”

With Bahl settling down, the Sooners put up four runs in the bottom of the second to help her settle down the rest of the way. Tiare Jennings blasted a three-run home run to make it 4-1 OU, and then Haley Lee hit one even farther for a solo shot and back-to-back homers.

OU fans came to OKC hoping for a legendary show, and it indeed became one of those nights nobody will forget.

“Tonight, literally once in a lifetime,” Bahl said. “It's never happened before in the game of softball. So just to be a part of that was absolutely incredible. And it just says something about our fans, and just how the game of softball is growing. So it was unbelievable to feel all of that energy tonight.”

The Sooners tacked on three more in the bottom of the sixth, keyed by a two-run home run by Kinzie Hansen.

Maybe the players couldn’t exactly embrace the moment being locked in and competing, but it’s a night Gasso allowed herself to soak in and celebrate. A night that shows her, once again, just how far the sport has come.

“I love our Sooner fans, but I didn't think I could love them any more than I did tonight,” Gasso said. “I think as I'm older and I've been around, I see things that are new, and maybe some people take it for granted.

“But I just remember sitting in the stadium when I was like in my late 20s watching the World Series with 2,000 people thinking that's the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life. And now you've got 9,000 people watching a conference game here with their cell phone lights on and I mean it was unreal. I was just – I was feeling chills.”

*With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the second, leftfielder Rylie Boone made sure it stayed that way. Not once but twice.

Texas was threatening, but Boone made consecutive grabs up against the wall to make sure the Horns didn’t score any more runs.

“There's no better feeling as a pitcher when you see her keep running, and she keeps getting closer to the fence and you're like, oh, no, oh, no. And then she just jumps up there and grabs it,” Bahl said. “So really, there's no better feeling as a pitcher than to see your teammates go out and make those plays.”

Playing nearly perfect defensively has been a hallmark of this OU team so far this season. It was on full display once again.

Advertisement