The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is taking place in California, and theare there. And the excitement was justified on the opening day of events in Cathedral City.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs opened the scoring in their first game of the evening when Jessie Blaine launched a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. However, Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen’s two-run home ball of her own cut into their lead in the first inning.
In the second inning, Oklahoma starter Nicole May encountered further difficulties due to a strong Bulldogs lineup. When Sierra Sacco singled with two outs in the eighth, Mississippi State took a 3-2 lead.
The Sooners responded immediately in the bottom of the second, just as they had in the first.
Ella Parker, a true freshman, opened the inning with a single. Avery Hodge then put Rylie Boone with runners on first and second via an infield single with one out. Boone then hit a two-run double to right field to put the Sooners up.
Parker added to the Sooners’ lead in the bottom of the third, driving in Alyssa Brito to give OU a 5-3 advantage.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Sooners extended their lead by two more runs. Tiare Jennings doubled to bring Jayda Coleman home after she drew a walk with one out, giving the team a 6-3 lead. With Alyssa Brito singling to bring home Jennings and give Oklahoma a comfortable 7-3 lead, the Sooners continued to apply pressure.
Patty Gasso sent in S.J. Geurin to end the fifth inning after May walked the lead-off hitter on four pitchers. Geurin then retired the next three Bulldogs hitters to end the game.
Oklahoma continued to pour on the runs, scoring two more in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Gasso went to Kelly Maxwell following the giving up of a fielder’s choice and a one-out walk. Entering the game, Maxwell recorded the last out of the inning.
Maxwell gave up two walks in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting, but she also struck out the side to seal the Sooners victory.
May gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings of work. In the contest, she also had four strikeouts and secured her fourth victory of the year. Although her performance wasn’t flawless, she persevered and managed to escape several difficult circumstances.
In the top 25 victory over Mississippi State, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito, and Ella Parker each got two singles, and six different Sooners recorded an RBI.
