Freshman Ella Parker fuels OU perfect tournament run

You know a lot of familiar names for OU softball. But here comes the next wave. And head coach Patty Gasso is never afraid to let some new names get the chance.

What they do with it, of course, is another story. Ella Parker took the opportunity and ran with it in an 8-0 run-rule victory against Seattle on Sunday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California.

The freshman hit two home runs and drove in five runs. It’s that type of production that will undoubtedly give Parker more chances going forward.

Transfer catcher Riley Ludlam continued to do her part, hitting a solo home run.

It was also a transfer thing in the circle as Karlie Keeney improved to 2-0 this season. She pitched 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and striking out five. Paytn Monticelli finished it off in the final 1.1 innings for the six-inning run rule.

OU 9, Loyola Marymount 0 (5)

If game one Sunday was for freshmen and transfers, you saw the usual names to close out the Classic. Alyssa Brito (two-run), Jayda Coleman (solo) and Alynah Torres (two-run) all had home runs.

Tiare Jennings punctuated her fantastic weekend with a two-run double as well.

One run would have been enough with the way Nicole May was pitching. May didn’t allow a hit in four innings, walking one and striking out seven. Kelly Maxwell retired the fifth, and another successful tournament in the books.

OU 7, San Diego State 0 (Saturday)

OU softball has so many pitchers that you might forget one or two. Sophomore Kierston Deal is making sure you remember her.

Deal was fantastic in shutting down San Diego State to help OU to a 7-0 victory on Saturday afternoon..

She pitched all seven innings. Deal allowed three hits and struck out six, needing just 86 pitches. It is the seventh shutout this season for the Sooners. It is the first seven-inning complete game for OU.

With pitching like that, all you need is a little bit of offense. And when you have players like Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings, that’s eventually going to happen.

Coleman drove in two runs in the bottom of the second. Then Jennings provided more separation with a two-run home run in the fifth. Jennings added more insurance with two more RBIs in the sixth.

OU 9, Mississippi State 3 (Friday)

OU softball head coach Patty Gasso talked earlier this week about challenging her team. Or more specifically, the offense.

Pitching and defense had been on-point for the No. 1 Sooners. But the offense? Wasn’t where it needed to be.

Message received as OU scored in each of the first five innings in the victory against No. 20/25 Mississippi State on Friday..

MSU is the only ranked opponent the Sooners will face this weekend and struck early with a 2-0 lead. But Kinzie Hansen erased that with one swing, a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning.

From there, Nicole May (4-0) settled down in the circle. And the OU bats kept on firing.

Senior Tiare Jennings drove in two runs. Her second RBI put her in second place all-time for career RBIs, surpassing Lauren Chamberlain.

OU had 12 hits against the Bulldogs. Jayda Coleman, Ella Parker, Alyssa Brito and Jennings each had two hits for the Sooners.

SJ Geurin was solid in relief. And then Kelly Maxwell struck out four in 1.1 innings pitched to seal the deal.

OU 10, Wisconsin 2 (5) (Friday)

OU was in a battle for three innings. And then decided it was time to shut this one down. A 2-2 game in the bottom of the fourth became a 10-2 one and another run-rule victory.

It was nothing flashy, just a great job of taking advantage of every little miscue made by the Badgers in that eight-run fourth.

Kelly Maxwell picked up the win as the starter. Karlie Keeney came in and pitched the fifth inning to wrap it up for Gasso’s club.

Up next

No. 1 OU (14-0) is home. You might have heard about the opening of Love’s Field? The new park will officially open for the OU Tournament on Friday afternoon. The weather is expected to be incredible for the first weekend of March. The Sooners will play five games in three days to open up their new home. The winning streak? Now stands at 67 games.