OKLAHOMA CITY – The No. 4-ranked Oklahoma softball team defeated Kansas in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship quarterfinal on Thursday afternoon in Oklahoma City, 10-1 in five innings..

The second-seeded Sooners (47-6) advance to Friday's semifinal round, eliminating No. 7-seed Kansas (28-25) from the Championship. OU out-hit KU 10-3 on the afternoon, blasting four doubles and one home run.

Ella Parker (2-for-2, BB, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI), Tiare Jennings (2-for-2, HBP, R) and Rylie Boone (2-for-2, R, 2B) each provided the Sooners with multi-hit efforts while Jayda Coleman (1-for-1, 2 BB, 3 R, HR, RBI) homered and reached three times out of the leadoff spot.

OU starting pitcher Kelly Maxwell worked around three hits in the first, allowing just one run to escape the jam.

The Sooners responded with a five-run first on four hits and two walks, reaching each of their first four batters. Coleman and Parker drew back-to-back free passes before Jennings reached on an infield single to load the bases for Alyssa Brito (1-for-2, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI). Oklahoma's third baseman lofted a two-run double down the right field line to put the Sooners in front, then Alynah Torres (0-for-1, SF, RBI) lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jennings. Two batters later, Kinzie Hansen (1-for-2, R, 2B, RBI) blasted an RBI double into the left-center alley, making it 4-1. OU plated its fifth run of the inning on a pickoff play, ending the inning on a caught stealing but scoring a run in the process.

Oklahoma added three more in the second, sparked by a one-out opposite-field blast off the bat of Coleman. Brito put down a well-placed sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play to score Parker three batters later. A KU wild pitch brought Brito home shortly thereafter, pushing Oklahoma's lead to 8-1.

Maxwell's run support helped the left-hander settle in, allowing the lone run on three hits over her 3.0 innings of work. She struck out two and issued a pair of walks, improving to 17-2 on the season.

The Sooners added two more in the third courtesy of a Parker two-run double. Paytn Monticelli took over in the fourth, closing out the win with 2.0 scoreless frames. The flamethrower struck out one and retired six of eight faced, allowing just two runners to reach on a hit-by-pitch and one Sooner error.

Championship Central