With both of her aces beginning their senior campaigns Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso seems committed to get some of her younger hurlers much needed experience as they open the season. At least that has been the case through the first two days of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
Gasso started Brooke Vestal on Friday and the redshirt freshman went 2.1 innings, allowing a four hits and giving up a run. Freshman Macy McAdoo made her second appearance and picked up her first win as a Sooner. She pitched a team-high 2.2 innings, allowing two runs off three hits. Senior Shannon Saile entered the game in the sixth to pick up her first save of the season by holding Long Beach State scoreless over the final two frames.
Having an explosive offense allows Gasso to experiment with some of her younger arms. The Sooners jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a three-run blast by junior Jocelyn Alo.
After Long Beach had pulled to within 6-3 in the sixth inning Oklahoma exploded for another four runs in the seventh.
Set up by a Grace Lyons double down the third base line and an Eliyah Flores hit-by-pitch, Alycia Flores tagged a single to right field to load the bases.
Lyons would come home on an RBI single from Kinsey Koeltzow before Rylie Boone knocked in two more with a single through the right side. Alo would complete the scoring for the day as she brought in Oklahoma’s 10th run with a fielder’s choice.
For the second day in a row freshman Kinzie Hansen has looked stellar. After delivering a 4 RBI performance to lead the team on Thursday night, she went 3-for-4 on the plate Friday afternoon with three more runs batted in.
The Sooners will play a double feature on Saturday, taking on George Washington at 6:00 pm and then BYU at 8:30.
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