Photo credit Ty Russell, OU Athletics
A day after Oklahoma blasted the Mexican national team for 11 runs in a shutout victory the Sooners found themselves in a nail-biting pitcher’s duel on Saturday afternoon with the opportunity to secure a series victory over a group of future Olympians.
Saturday’s hero was Tiare Jennings who knocked in Jayda Coleman for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to give OU a 2-1 walk off win. Coleman led off Oklahoma’s half of the inning with a triple to right center field that allowed her to flash her speed. Team Mexico made the decision to walk Jocelyn Alo rather than take a risk with her hitting the ball out of the park. That brought up Jennings with the opportunity to end it and she delivered an RBI single up the middle.
The seventh inning drama was set up in the top half of the frame when Sashel Palacios singled up the middle to score Brittany Cervantes for Mexico’s first run of the series. Prior to that the game had been a pitcher’s duel with Oklahoma holding a slight advantage. Shannon Saile went the full way for the Sooners from the circle, allowing just four hits while striking out five batters and allowing just the one run to score.
Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Friday’s hero Lynnsie Elam went deep to centerfield. The score remained that way until Team Mexico evened things up in the top of the seventh.
Former Sooner standout Sydney Romero is still looking for her first hit in the series but made some highlights on Saturday afternoon by flashing some leather and firing across the diamond.
Oklahoma and Team Mexico will wrap up the three-game exhibition series on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled at Noon.
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