Liberty University
17-9
Oklahoma
22-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 10 | 4 | 0 | X | 16 | 15 | 0 |
Top-Ranked Sooners Run-Rule Lady Flames
3/14/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
After posting a narrow 5-4 win in today's first game, the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners posted a 16-0, five-inning victory over Liberty in game two on Sunday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Oklahoma (22-0) extends its season-opening winning streak to 22 games, including 4-0 at this weekend's Oklahoma Hall of Fame Classic. Liberty (17-9) went 1-4 while in Oklahoma, including a pair of setbacks to No. 5 Oklahoma State on Friday and today's two losses to the top-ranked Sooners. Liberty's lone win at the invitational came yesterday, when Blake Gibson hit a two-run walk-off homer in a 5-4 win over Kansas City.
Scoring Summary
Oklahoma – 1st INNING – Snow reaches on fielder's choice, Alo scores, 1-0
Oklahoma – 1st INNING – Coleman reaches on error, Hansen scores, 2-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Alo homers, Mendes and Donihoo score, 5-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Lyons homers, 6-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Hansen homers, 7-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Johns doubles, Coleman and Snow score, 9-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Mendes triples, Johns scores, 10-0
Oklahoma – 2nd INNING – Jennings homers, Mendes scores, 12-0
Oklahoma – 3rd INNING – Hansen homers, Lyons scores, 14-0
Oklahoma – 3rd INNING – Puni doubles, Snow scores, 15-0
Oklahoma – 3rd INNING – Donihoo singles, Puni scores, 16-0
Notable Numbers
- Oklahoma, the top-scoring team in the country, scored 16 runs on 15 hits, committing no errors and leaving five on base. Liberty recorded one hit and two errors, stranding four runners.
- The Sooners posted their 13th shutout of the season.
- OU's Nicole May (8-0) earned the win, yielding just one hit, striking out three and walking one in 2 1/3 innings. Olivia Rains pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless softball, walking two and striking out one. Shannon Saile struck out one while allowing no hits in one inning.
- Emily Kirby (4-3) drew the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits, walking two and striking out one in 1 1/3 innings. McKenzie Wagoner yielded two runs on two hits, while Naomi Jones allowed nine runs on seven hits, walking two in 2/3 of an inning. Megan Johnson pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.
- Oklahoma's top four batters (Tiare Jennings, Jocelyn Alo, Grace Lyons, Kinzie Hansen) went a combined 8-for-14 with five homers, nine RBI and eight runs scored. All four batters homered, with cleanup batter Hansen hitting two home runs.
- Emily Sweat recorded Liberty's lone hit of the game.
Turning Point
- Oklahoma broke the game wide open in the second, scoring 10 runs on eight hits to push OU's lead to 12-0. Alo, Lyons and Hansen hit back-to-back-to-back homers during the inning.
- A four-run Sooners third set the final score at 16-0. Saile came on to pitch the fifth inning and close out the combined one-hitter.
Beyond the Box Score
- Oklahoma is now 3-0 all-time against Liberty in softball, as the only previous meeting was March 7, 2014 in Norman, Okla.
- Liberty Head Coach Dr. Dot Richardson was enshrined in the National Softball Hall of Fame in 2006 for her distinguished softball playing career. The Hall of Fame is adjacent to ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, home of the Women's College World Series, where the Lady Flames played yesterday and today.
- Liberty's Amber Bishop-Riley was listed on the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List, while Oklahoma had three players named to that list (Jocelyn Alo, G Juarez, Nicole Mendes).
- Liberty has gone 0-8 against Top 25 teams so far this season, with all seven games coming against teams who were ranked in the top 10 at the time of meeting.
- Today's second game was the first time Liberty has been run-ruled this season.
Up Next
Liberty remains on the road, and will head to Fayetteville, Ark., for a 7 p.m. ET game at Arkansas on Tuesday. Arkansas was ranked No. 12 by D1Softball.com on Monday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: May, N. (8-0)
L: Kirby, Emily (4-3)
Batting:
2B: Lyons, G. 1 ; Puni, Z. 1 ; Johns, J. 1
3B: Mendes, N. 1
HR: Jennings, T. 1 ; Alo, J. 1 ; Lyons, G. 1 ; Hansen, K. 2
RBI: Jennings, T. 2 ; Alo, J. 3 ; Lyons, G. 1 ; Hansen, K. 3 ; Snow, T. 1 ; Puni, Z. 1 ; Johns, J. 2 ; Donihoo, M. 1 ; Mendes, N. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, T. 1 ; Alo, J. 2 ; Lyons, G. 2 ; Hansen, K. 3 ; Snow, T. 2 ; Coleman, J. 1 ; Puni, Z. 1 ; Johns, J. 1 ; Donihoo, M. 1 ; Mendes, N. 2
HBP: Johns, J. 1
