Photo credit Josh Gateley/OU Athletics
The only thing standing between Oklahoma and a berth in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game is an evening affair with Texas Tech at the 2021 Big 12 Softball Championship. The Sooners dispatched Baylor by a run-rule score of 10-2, in five innings, to open play in the championship tournament on Friday afternoon. The Bears had a hard time keeping the ball in the park against OU after jumping on top 2-0 in the opening frame.
Jayda Coleman hit her seventh home run of the season to put the Sooners ahead in the second inning. Her three-run blast came after Grace Lyons had crossed home plate, on a Taylon Snow fly out to center field, for Oklahoma’s first run of the game.
Leading 4-2 in the bottom of the third, Kinzie Hansen hit the first of her two home runs on the day. A solo shot to left field had Oklahoma rolling at 5-2 and then Mackenzie Donihoo brought in Nicole Mendes for the sixth run of the day with an RBI double to right center field.
Hansen struck for the second time an inning later with a three-run shot to center field that put the Sooners just one score away from a run-rule. The long ball allowed her to become just the 10 player in conference tournament history to hit two home runs in one game.Β That final run came in the fifth with Jayda Coleman scoring on a Tiare Jennings fly out to center field that provided the 10-2 final.
Shannon Saile threw all five innings from the circle to improve her season record to 15-0. She struck out 10 Baylor batters and allowed just the two runs off six hits.
Follow us on Twitter:Β @SportsHeartland