OU softball clinches sole possession of 11th consecutive Big 12 title with 8-2 win over Kansas

Oklahoma (45-1, 15-0 Big 12) completed a three-game sweep against Kansas (22-24, 4-11) with an 8-2 victory on Sunday in Norman.

Senior Alex Storako pitched 5.1 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits while striking out six. Sophomore Jordy Bahl closed the game with 1.2 innings of one hit, no run relief. 

OU clinched sole possession of its 11th consecutive Big 12 title with the sweep.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

Sooners’ bats stay hot

OU carried its momentum from Saturday’s 14-0 victory over Kansas into Sunday’s matchup. 

The Sooners tallied seven runs in the first three innings, led by second baseman Tiare Jennings’ three-run home run in the second. Jennings went 4 for 5 with three RBIs and scored twice.

Launchin' lasers ☄️ @_tiarejennings B2 | OU 5, KU 1 | 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/0b2bZi9PZF

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 30, 2023

Center fielder Jayda Coleman collected two hits on three at-bats and drove in two runs. Catcher Kinzie Hansen extended her hit streak to eight games with a base hit in the fourth. OU finished with 12 hits.

Storako struggles early, settles in

Storako got off to a rough start in Sunday’s game.

OU’s righty fielded a ground ball in the pitching circle on the second at-bat of the game, but lobbed an errant throw well above first baseman Cydney Sanders’ head, causing her to jump and pull her foot off the first-base bag.

Storako then threw three consecutive balls, one of which plunked KU catcher Lyric Moore. The Jayhawks drove in their first run with a base hit on the next pitch. Storako got out of the jam with help from third baseman Alyssa Brito, who crashed into the net behind home plate to make the inning-ending catch.

An eventful top of the first 😅 KU scores the first run on the #Sooners in six games but Brito makes sure that's it. MID 1 | OU 0, KU 1 | @alyss_33 pic.twitter.com/AqVnTjYlcu

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 30, 2023

Storako settled in and struck out six batters over the next 4.1 innings while allowing one run.

Sooners honor seniors, Castiglione

OU honored its four fifth-year seniors, Haley Lee, Grace Lyons, Grace Green and Storako, during Sunday’s contest..

The seniors each caught one of the four ceremonial first pitches, thrown by a member of their family. The seniors were pulled out of the game in the top of the sixth and were embraced with a standing ovation from the crowd at Marita Hynes Field.

#Sooners seniors Alex Storako, Haley Lee, Grace Lyons and Grace Green receive a standing ovation after exiting in the top of the 6th pic.twitter.com/JAplTDElnG

— Louis Raser (@LouisRaser) April 30, 2023

The Sooners also honored athletic director Joe Castiglione on his 25th anniversary of being hired by OU.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.Thank you for your leadership over the last 25 years, @soonerad! We can't wait for many more to come.#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/fFeKeuA71x

— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) April 30, 2023

Next, OU will face Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Friday in Stillwater.