OU softball blasts Baylor in series opener behind Tiare Jennings' big night

OU softball coach Patty Gasso had to stop herself a bit.

“I don’t even want to start talking about this yet,” Gasso said of Tiare Jennings after Jennings further solidified her place in Sooners’ softball history in Friday’s 8-1 win over Baylor at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

Jennings broke Sydney Romero’s program career doubles record, then kickstarted a seven-run fifth with a two-run home run as the Sooners (29-1, 7-0 Big 12) extended their winning streak to 11.

“She’s probably one of the most clutch athletes I’ve ever coached, without question,” Gasso said of Jennings. “I mean when we need it, she does it.”

With OU up 1-0, Jennings broke the record in the third inning, belting the double into the left-field corner to pass Romero.

But the Sooners couldn’t score then, and Baylor tied the game in the fourth.

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After Jayda Coleman drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Jennings drove a 1-1 pitch over the right-center field wall to break the tie and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Jennings’ home run, her team-leading 11th of the season, set off an offensive explosion.

The Sooners scored seven in the inning, capped by a grand slam from Alynah Torres.

OU nearly finished the game in five innings, loading the bases after Torres’ blast before a lineout to right and a groundout ended the inning without further damage.

Jennings finished 3 for 3 with a walk.

The last two games of the series, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, will be played at Love’s Field.

Here are four more takeaways on the Sooners’ win:

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Another big crowd takes in Sooners’ victory

A crowd of 8,798 took in the Sooners’ first game at the stadium since winning the Women’s College World Series there in June.

The crowd was the second-largest in NCAA regular-season history, behind only last season’s crowd of 8,930 at the stadium for the Sooners’ victory over Texas that shattered the record.

“I think that’s pretty legit,” OU’s Rylie Boone said. “Women’s sports — invest in them, I think it’s pretty awesome just to look at the crowd and also let teams come and play in this atmosphere. I feel like for us to do this on a Friday night in conference, I think is pretty awesome and it just shows that women’s sports is growing.”

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Rylie Boone ignites Sooners

Rylie Boone had three hits, once again adding a spark to the bottom of OU’s order.

A pair of Boone’s hits were of the infield variety, including an infield single in the second that forced a quick throw by Baylor, leading to an error that allowed the Sooners’ first run to score.

Boone added a bunt single in the fourth, then a double in the fifth.

“When she comes up, I think everybody knows something magical’s going to happen whether it’s a ball off the wall or just a great bunt that she lays down,” Gasso said. “She’s so hard to defend and I think she has a lot of fun with that.”

More: OU softball: Tiare Jennings breaks Sydney Romero's career doubles mark for Sooners

Alynah Torres stays red hot

Torres came in as perhaps the Sooners’ hottest hitter.

But Torres wasn’t in the starting lineup Friday.

Sooners coach Patty Gasso waited for the right opportunity to deploy Torres and found that with the bases loaded in the fifth when she pinch-hit Torres for Avery Hodge.

Torres rewarded her by blasting a 2-2 no-doubter over the left-field fence for a grand slam, her fifth home run of the season.

Torres extended her hitting streak to eight.

She’s hitting .588 with nine runs, 10 RBIs and four home runs.

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Baylor defense shines

It looked like a heads-up play.

The Sooners’ Avery Hodge, seeing third base uncovered on Rylie Boone’s bunt single, never broke stride in rounding second.

But Baylor left-fielder Emily Hott — a Deer Creek product — raced in to cover the bag and a quick throw from catcher Sydney Collazos caught Hodge at third to end the inning.

Collazos also caught Jayda Coleman stealing in the first.

The Bears’ defense wasn’t perfect, though.

The Sooners’ first run of the game came courtesy of a throwing error on Boone’s infield single in the second.

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OU softball schedule update

Sunday's series finale was rescheduled due to inclement weather in the forecast. OU and Baylor will now play at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Love's Field in Norman.

The late game will be part of a split doubleheader, as the stadium will be cleared after the first game of the day. Tickets for Sunday's game will be honored for the 5:30 p.m. game.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball rolls past Baylor as Tiare Jennings has record night