There was no collective sigh of relief across world of college softball on Thursday as the three-time defending national champions looked as impressive in a debut as they ever have. The Sooners’ 13-0 win over Utah Valley marked their seventh consecutive season-opening victory. OU has not lost an opening game since Feb. 9, 2017, a 3-2 setback to Auburn. Oklahoma follow up its run-rule victory over Wolverines with another shutout in the second game of the day. This time it was #9 Duke succumbing to the Sooners in a 3-0 loss.
The win over the Blue Devils moved Patty Gasso past Margie Wright and into third in NCAA history with her 1,458th career win. It also extended Oklahoma’s winning streak to 55 games, dating back to Feb. 24, 2023. The Sooners own the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I history and have now tied the all-division record held by then-Division II program Western Kentucky.
Notes From Opening Day At The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
- OU’s pitching staff spun 12.0 scoreless innings over the course of opening day with five different pitchers making appearances.
- Nicole May threw 3.0 shutout frames to earn the win over Utah Valley, striking out two while allowing a lone hit.
- Kelly Maxwell won her OU debut in the matinee versus Duke, tossing 5.0 scoreless and limiting the Blue Devils to one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.
- Oklahoma’s staff held their two opponents to hit just .175, scattering seven hits – all singles – and two walks while striking out seven.
- Freshman outfielder Kasidi Pickering blasted an opposite-field grand slam in her first collegiate at-bat, finishing her college debut with five RBI in OU’s 13-0 win over Utah Valley.
- Fellow freshman Ella Parker reached base three times in her debut, going 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored.
- Jayda Coleman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored vs. Utah Valley to provide OU with its first multi-hit game of the season.
- Tiare Jennings delivered the Sooners’ first three-hit game of 2024 with a 3-for-4 performance against Duke and blasted a go-ahead solo home run in the third inning.
- Karlie Keeney earned her seventh collegiate save while making her OU debut with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in the win over Duke.
- Kinzie Hansen’s solo home run vs. Utah Valley was the 50th of her collegiate career.
- Oklahoma’s two freshmen opening day starters, Parker and Pickering, combined to go 5-for-9 with four runs scored on the day.
Up Next
Things won’t get any easier for the Sooners on Friday as they face No. 10/7 Washington. The game will be broadcast on FloSoftball with radio coverage on 107.7 FM The Franchise and 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2. First pitch is scheduled for 8:30 PM.
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