Oklahoma pushed five runs across the plate on Friday after being shut out on Thursday.
NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 5 Oklahoma jumped out quickly and evened up its three-game series with No. 17 Baylor after a 5-2 win Friday night at Marita Hynes Field.
With the win, the Sooners (37-6, 10-1 Big 12) pushed their lead in the Big 12 standings back to 2.5 games over the Lady Bears (31-10, 6-2 Big 12).
After being shut out for just the second time all season Thursday night, the Sooners made sure not to suffer the same fate Friday thanks to a three-run first inning.
With one out, Shelby Pendley was hit by a pitch. Paige Parker singled to center field before a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two out. Kady Self was then hit on the left leg to fill the bases. That brought Georgia Casey to the plate, and she cleared the bases with a three-run double to right center.
Casey finished the game 2-for-2 with three runs batted in and a walk. Since going 0-for-3 in her return from a thumb injury on April 3, Casey is batting .391 (9-for-23) with three runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs.
Oklahoma added to its lead in the second.
Lea Wodach hit a one-out single to left field, and two batters later came home when Pendley unleashed a towering two-run homer to right field. It was her 82nd career home run and her 63rd as a Sooner, and it gave OU a 5-0 lead.
The two-run shot was Pendley’s 22nd of the season, matching a career high she set in 2013. The 22 homers are tied for the third most in a season at OU and tied for the fourth most in a season in Big 12 history.
Pendley was 1-for-2 in the game with two runs scored and two driven in.
Parker gave up four runs on six hits in 5.0 innings Thursday night, but was much better in a second go-around against Baylor. She improved to 19-4 by stricking out eight and walking one while giving up two runs on eight hits.
She struck out three of the first five she faced to set the tone from the start and needed only 88 pitches to throw her 15th complete game of the season.
