Sooners Blank Mizzou, Advance To Regional Final

Top-seeded Oklahoma advanced to Sunday's NCAA Norman Regional final with a 11-0, six-inning win over Missouri Saturday afternoon.

OU's pitching staff was once again dominant with sophomore Jordy Bahl (5.0 IP) and freshman Kierston Deal (1.0 IP) throwing the Sooners second one-hitter in as many days. 

At the plate, OU blasted a pair of home runs courtesy Kinzie Hansen and Cydney Sanders. They're 11th and sixth, of the season, respectively. The Sooners registered 11 hits to accompany their 11 runs, their 25th game with double-digit hits on the season.

With the win, OU (53-1) improved their nation-best and program record win streak to 45 games, just two games shy of the NCAA all-time record set by 1996-97 Arizona.

The victory was OU's nation-leading 32nd shutout of the season and 26th run-rule win, including third in the last four games.

OU scored early and often, putting up crooked numbers in four of six innings starting with a pair in the first. 

Following a leadoff walk to Jayda Coleman, single from Haley Lee and double steal by the two, Sanders ripped a two-run single down the left line to put OU up 2-0 early. 

OU poured in three more in the third via a Lee RBI double and Hansen's two-run blast to left center.

Bahl retired 11 straight into the fourth inning before giving up her only hit of the game, including retiring the side via strikeout in the third. 

Moving to the fifth inning, OU scored two more on two hits and a wild pitch from Missouri. Following a Jennings single and fielder's choice on a Lee hit, Lee moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a second consecutive pitch in the dirt. The next at-bat, Sanders sent one to deep left field for OU's 26th multi-homer game of 2023. 

The sixth inning moved the Sooners into mercy-rule territory with four runs on three hits, starting with a Jennings' sac-fly RBI to make it 8-0. Two batters later, pinch hitter Quincee Lilio walked in Oklahoma's ninth run. The next at-bat, pinch hitter super senior Grace Green laced a two-run single down the right line for her first runs batted in since a three-run homer on Senior Weekend. The top half of the sixth brought the score to 11-0 OU, with three outs to advance to the regional final. 

Deal entered and retired the Tigers (35-25) in order with a pair of strikeouts to end the game. 

Bahl earned the win to move to 16-1, throwing five scoreless innings and surrendering just one hit and one walk to go with seven strikeouts. 

At the plate, eight Sooners recorded a hit with six bringing in a run, paced by Sanders' three RBI and Hansen and Green's pair of runs batted in. 

The Sooners move on to meet the winner of Saturday's two elimination games between Hofstra, Cal and Missouri. The game will start at 1 p.m. CT Sunday afternoon with TV designation to be announced on ESPN's family of networks. The contest can be heard via 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity Network app.