No. 15/15 Baylor softball (20-7) couldn’t match a late surge by No. 2/3 Oklahoma (29-2), dropping a 5-0 decision to open the three-game series on Thursday evening at Getterman Stadium.
Gia Rodoni (12-5) was handed the loss, matching season and career-high marks in hits allowed (9) and walks allowed (5), and earned runs allowed (5). The junior ace managed to hold off the Sooners through the first four frames, finishing with a game-high two strikeouts.
Battling against three-time All-American Paige Parker (16-1), the Lady Bears managed two hits and matched Parker’s career-high in walks allowed (3), but the senior LHP kept the offense bottled up with just two baserunners over the final four frames on a pair of walks.
Despite Parker managing her lowest strikeout total in a seven-inning start over the last two seasons, 16 fly outs kept the Baylor bats from piecing together any meaningful at bats to get a foothold.
The OU bats struggled just as much in the first four frames, but the Sooners broke through with a pair of two-out rallies to take the advantage.
The Sooners would take a run on a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth, adding three on a two-out rally in the top of the sixth.
With Goose McGlaun entering in relief in the top of the seventh, inheriting two on and no outs, the sophomore managed to limit the Sooners to a single run on an infield groundout, but the 5-0 lead was more than enough to close out game one for the visiting OU squad.
