Oklahoma’s top-ranked softball team hit three home runs to take control and beat #16 seed Clemson 9-2 in Game 1 of the NCAA super regional on Friday at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.
The win was OU’s 47th straight, tying the longest winning streak in NCAA history, set by Arizona in 1996 and 1997.
Haley Lee had the biggest hit, a grand slam to left field in the fifth inning to extend OU’s lead to 8-2.
The next batter after Lee was Alyssa Brito, and she hit a solo homer to center to give OU a 9-2 lead.
Oklahoma’s first home run came in the fourth inning on a two-run shot by Cydney Sanders to left field that doubled OU’s lead to 4-0.
The Sooners manufactured their first two runs in the first two innings, getting a sacrifice fly from Lee to bring home Jayda Coleman in the first inning.
In the second, Grace Lyons scored on a passed ball to give OU a 2-0 lead.
Clemson cut OU’s lead in half in the fifth inning when Caroline Jacobsen doubled in two runs to make it 4-2 Sooners.
OU starting pitcher Jordy Bahl got the win, going 5 and a third innings, with six strikeouts and scattering eight hits.
Oklahoma has won 64 straight home games and 118 of their last 120.
OU has also won 17 straight NCAA Tournament games at home and 48 of their last 51.
They’ve won 13 straight super regional games and 17 of their last 18.
Oklahoma improves to 55-1 on the season and can clinch their seventh straight trip and 16th overall to the Women’s College World Series with a win in Game 2 of the super regional on Saturday at noon.
By Brian Brinkley