Oklahoma's Offense Comes Alive to Take Series Over LSU

Oklahoma improved to 34-3 overall and 8-1 in SEC play with the win, while LSU dropped to 23-12 on the year and 4-8 in league contests. 

Patty Gasso made a slight change to her batting order by moving freshman Kai Minor to the leadoff spot.

Minor immediately rewarded Gasso’s faith with a leadoff double. 

Wells then stepped in and clubbed her 26th home run of the year to put OU on top 2-0. 

Two batters later, Garcia added to the lead with a one-out solo blast. The Oklahoma shortstop chased Cellura out of the game with her homer, forcing LSU to bring in Jayden Heavener.

First baseman Isabela Emerling then reached with two outs after getting hit, and she was able to move into scoring position after a wild pitch. 

The extra 60 feet ended up being crucial, as Ailana Agbayani batted Emerling in with a two-out single to close out the four-run first. 

Guachino allowed a one-out double in the first, but she recorded all three outs via strikeout before running into trouble in the second. 

Edwards and Lorenz went back-to-back to start the frame. Catcher Maci Bergeron continued the momentum with a single, and Guachino quickly found herself in a jam. 

She issued a free pass by hitting leadoff hitter Jalia Lassiter, and LSU put both runners in scoring position with two outs courtesy of some aggressive baserunning, but Guachino was able to induce a pop-up to get out of the inning. 

Oklahoma’s offense didn’t get another runner in scoring position until the fifth inning, but the Sooners were ruthless when they did string a pair of hits together. 

Garcia and Kasidi Pickering hit a pair of one-out singles to bring Emerling back up to bat. 

The senior fouled off the first pitch and then watched a pair of balls into Bergeron’s glove before she swung again. 

When she did get the bat off her shoulder, she rocketed a ball on a rope to dead center. It flew past Lassiter’s outstretched glove, extending the Sooners’ lead to 7-2. 

It also marked Emerling’s 12th long ball of the year, and it marked her second straight weekend with a big homer in an SEC series finale. 

The Sooners and the Tigers traded solo efforts in the sixth. 

Ella Parker did the damage for Oklahoma in the top half of the inning with two outs, then Edwards hit her second home run of the day in the LSU half of the inning. 

It marked Edwards’ third bomb of the weekend, but crucially for Guachino on Sunday, all three of the long balls she allowed came with the bases clear. 

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After surrendering the deep shot, Guachino bounced back with a pair of strikeouts to surpass her previous season-high of eight. 

Gasso let the sophomore return to the circle to close out the game in the seventh. 

She allowed a walk and a single to put two on with one out. Guachino struck Tori Edwards out, but Alix Franklin added another run with a two-out single.

The OU pitcher then fell behind 3-0 to Kylee Edwards, but the right-hander dug in. She threw two strikes, and Edwards fouled off another two pitches before Guachino got the LSU hitter to line out to right field to end the contest.

Guachino finished with 11 strikeouts, which is tied for the third-most in a single outing in her career, and she gave up the four runs on seven hits. Guachino also issued three walks and hit one batter in seven full innings of work.

The Sooners now return home for a busy week. 

Oklahoma will host Wichita State in a midweek matchup on Tuesday at Love’s Field before opening up a three-game series with Kentucky in Norman starting on Thursday.