Yahoo Finance Oklahoma softball sets NCAA record with 13 home runs ... in 5 innings
Oklahoma softball, the No. 4 ranked program in the nation, opened its season on Thursday against UTEP, and it did not end well for poor UTEP.
The Sooners won their season opener, the first game UTEP's Miner Invitational, by a score of 29-0, and the game might have been even more lopsided than the final score suggests. For starters, those 29 runs were accrued over the course of only five innings, thanks to the NCAA's mercy rule.
The runs also came via 13 home runs — again, accrued in only five innings — which was good for a new NCAA record:
𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐀. 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃. 1⃣3⃣ home runs in a game...and counting.
💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣
The latest one courtesy of @kkenzienncole, her first career blast. pic.twitter.com/pJq2KBH1PY— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 11, 2021
The game was a blowout from the first plate appearance, as leadoff hitter Taylon Snow reached base on an error and was driven in a batter later on a home run from freshman Tiare Jennings. That was the beginning of an Atlanta Braves-esque 13-run first inning. It didn't get much better from there for UTEP.
Let's just took a look at the ol' box score and — oh sweet lord:
Both Jennings and shortstop Grace Snow finished with three home runs each, with Kinzie Jansen and Nicole Mendes each chipping in two more homers as well.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma pitchers Giselle Juarez and Olivia Rains combined to allow two hits while striking out nine in five shutout innings.
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