Photo credit Joshua GateleyΒ OU Athletics
Jocelyn Alo homered twice as the Sooners scored five runs through the first two innings and then held on for a 9-7 win over Iowa State to begin conference play on Friday.
The Sooners scored two unearned runs in the top of the first that would end up being the game-deciding runs. Cyclone senior short stop Sami Williams sent a ball out over the left field wall for a two-run blast that tied the game in the bottom of the first. Shortly after that Alo settled in for the first of her two homers with a 3-run shot to right center field in the top of the second, giving OU a 5-2 lead.
Alo went deep again the in the top of the fourth with a 2-run homer down the left field line and it appeared as if the Sooners could be on track for a run-rule victory leading 7-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth. A run in the fifth and another in the seventh put the Sooners in command with a 9-2 lead and needing just three more outs to bury Iowa State but the Cyclones still had a rally left in them.
ISU made it extremely uncomfortable when a 2-run home run from Mikayla Ramos capped a five-run frame to pull them within two runs with an out remaining. Oklahoma pitcher “G” Juarez was able to regroup and get Milaysia Ochoa to strike out swinging and squelch the Cyclone rally with the Sooners clutching a 9-7 win.
Juarez went the distance on Friday, striking out 11 Iowa State batters to improve her season record to 8-0. She was in the circle for all seven of ISU’s runs but only three of them were earned.
Alo ended the day going 2-for-3 from the plate, and a walk, with five RBI and three runs scored. She hit her 20th and 21st home runs of the season to lead Oklahoma’s offense. Kinzie Hansen and Jayda Coleman also recorded multiple hit games with each producing a pair of hits. The Sooners and Cyclones play game two of their series on Saturday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled at 1:00 PM.
Friday’s win improved Oklahoma’s season record to 23-0.
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