No. 1 seeded OU softball (50-8) defeated Kansas (36-19) 9-0 in five innings Saturday at Love’s Field.
The game was the Sooners’ second straight run rule and shutout victory and their 25th consecutive victory over Kansas dating back to 2016.
Here are three key takeaways:
Pitching dominance
After inconsistent play to start the month of May, sophomore Miali Guachino shut down Kansas from the mound.
She allowed no runs and only one hit, pitching all five innings while throwing 59 pitches. Guachino struck out six batters in the victory. The dominating performance was her 15th win and first complete game shutout of the season.
“She was in complete control from the start of the game,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “Ahead in the count, throwing such quality pitches. Good to see her focus, demeanor, It’s probably one of the best games I’ve seen (from) her.”
Big 4th inning
The Sooners did most of their damage in the fourth inning, where they scored six runs to extend their lead to 9-0.
They did that without a home run, hitting two singles and two doubles, along with four walks. Sophomore Gabbie Garcia batted in two runs on a single, while senior Isabella Emerling hit a run-batted-in double on her first at bat and walked on her second of the fourth.
“Everybody loves home runs,” Gasso said, “But I love watching our team run the bases. It’s fun to put them in motion sometimes, or just, good, heads-up baserunning, and we were that all day long.”
Back-to-back run rules
OU has dominated in the first two games of regionals, winning both games by run rule.
The Sooners have scored 20 runs over their first two games, while the pitching staff has shut out both opponents. It’s a hot start for the Sooners and reminiscent of their 2023 national championship winning season, where they beat Hofstra and Missouri in run rule shutouts to start regional play.
Next, OU will compete in the regional final against Michigan 2 p.m. Sunday
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
