College Softball: Sooners, Golden Hurricane Pick Up Wins

OU Softball's Paige Parker Homers, Shuts Out McNeese State 3-0

BATON ROUGE, La. – Freshman Paige Parker threw her sixth shutout of the season and hit her eighth home run of the year as No. 6 Oklahoma (25-5) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over McNeese State (23-10) Sunday afternoon at LSU's Tiger Park.

Parker improved to a team-best 11-3 on the season as she struck out five and allowed only two hits, both of which came in the third inning. It was her team-high sixth solo shutout of the year and the ninth she's been a part of.

After four and a half scoreless innings, OU relied on its freshmen to provide the scoring in the fifth.

Freshman Kelsey Arnold led off the inning by slapping a line drive over a drawn-in outfield. Arnold never slowed down and raced to third for her first career triple. Fellow freshman Nicole Pendley followed with a deep drive to center field that worked for a sacrifice fly, bringing home Arnold.

Senior Lauren Chamberlain kept things going with her second walk of the game. Two batters later, it was Parker who provided the clutch hit as she homered to left center. Her eighth homer of the year gave OU the 3-0 advantage.

With two walks, Chamberlain now has 174 in her career, moving into second place all-time in Big 12 history and 20th place in NCAA Division I annals.

Arnold and junior Whitney Ellis each went 2-for-3 on the day.

Tulsa Softball Completes Sweep of Memphis with 13-2 Win Sunday

TULSA, Okla. – Shelby Estocado and Julie Kernen each drove in four runs to lead the Tulsa softball team to a 13-2 (5 inn.) win over Memphis Sunday afternoon, completing the American Athletic Conference series sweep, at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

Estocado, who entered the game in center field in the top of the fifth inning, hit a grand slam in the bottom of the frame to end the game. Kernen picked up two RBI on a two-run double in the third, and Catherine Horner added a two-run double in the fourth inning. Jodi Edmiston went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Horner and Maggie Withee scored three runs for TU. After two scoreless innings, the Golden Hurricane (19-10, 3-0 American) exploded for four runs in the third and fourth frames, and five runs in the fifth.

Caitlin Sill (5-4) earned the complete-game victory for the Hurricane. She struck out four batters, and after allowing two runs with a single and three walks in the first inning, settled down to allow just three baserunners for the rest of the game. She retired nine straight between the first and fourth innings. Memphis starter Jordan Richwood (5-9) allowed four runs in 3.0 innings and took the loss for the Tigers (9-15, 0-3 American).

The Golden Hurricane plays host to Wichita State at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Collins Family Softball Complex.