The Oklahoma Sooners completed the three-game sweep of the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday with a 12-2 walk-off, run-rule win on Kasidi Pickering’s grand slam home run in the fifth. The Sooners are now 38-3 on the season and 11-1 in SEC play.
It was a historic day at Love’s Field as Kendall Wells tied the NCAA and OU single-season freshman home run record with her 30th home run of the season. It was a three-run shot in the fourth that made it 6-0 Sooners. Wells tied former Sooners Lauren Chamberlain and Jocelyn Alo, as well as Hawaii’s Kelly Majam.
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Wells now has 30 home runs in 41 games and has hit 9 home runs in 12 SEC contests.
Early in the game, it was Ella Parker providing the fireworks, launching the first pitch she saw to lead off the second inning to launch her 17th home run of the season. Isabela Emerling added to the lead in the third with a two-RBI single to make it 3-0 Sooners.
Transfer Sydney Berzon got the start for Oklahoma and was fantastic against the Wildcats, throwing four no-hit innings, allowing one walk, and striking out one to move to 5-1 on the season. Patty Gasso and Jennifer Rocha turned to senior Kierston Deal to pitch the fifth. Deal allowed two runs on three hits and a walk, but the Sooners’ defense couldn’t take advantage of opportunities to help her out.
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But the Sooners wasted little time responding to Kentucky’s two runs at the top of the fifth. Freshman Lexi McDaniel singled to lead off the inning. Pinch hitter Tia Milloy moved McDaniel to third with a hard hit single to right field. With runners on first and third, Milloy stole second, and she and McDaniel advanced on Abby Dayton’s ball four that got away from the Kentucky catcher.
Kentucky walked Wells to load the bases, and after the Wildcats got Milloy out at home, Kasidi Pickering came up with the game-ending heroics with her grand slam home run to left field. It was Pickering’s 16th home run of the season.
The Sooners are now up to 144 home runs on the season, just 14 away from the single-season home run record.
With the sweep, the Sooners will leave the weekend with a one-game lead over the Texas Longhorns in the SEC standings. Texas dropped game two to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday night. The top five teams will close the series during a midday matchup on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Kasidi Pickering’s walk-off grand slam lifts Sooners to 12-2 win