Isabela Emerling’s second inning grand slam highlighted a dominant showing from the Sooners on Sunday.
NORMAN — Little stood in the way of Oklahoma and finishing off a perfect weekend at the Omni Classic.
The No. 2-ranked Sooners jumped on Kansas City early on Saturday, putting up five runs in the first inning, but catcher Isabela Emerling delivered the biggest swing of the game in the second.
She stepped in with the bases juiced and two outs, and she left no doubt.
Emerling launched the ball into the bleachers, hammering her second grand slam of the year.
The rocket put OU up 10-0, but it wasn’t the last damage the Sooners would inflict.
Oklahoma won 17-1 at Love’s Field on Sunday, moving to 19-0 on the year as it prepares to welcome in unbeaten South Carolina next weekend to open SEC play.
Kansas City fell to 1-13 with the loss.
“It was a very dominating performance. A lot of clutch hits,” OU coach Patty Gasso said after the win. “We ran bases really good this weekend as well. I think four pitchers were used today.
“We’re really trying to give everybody an opportunity before we walk into SEC play this weekend, which is really important for everyone to have some experience going into it.”
The Sooners scored in just about every way imaginable on Sunday.
Before launching a pair of home runs balls in the second inning, Abby Dayton and Ella Parker first crossed the plate after pouncing on a wild pitch to give OU a 2-0 lead with one out in the first inning.
Ailana Agbayani’s infield single brought home Cydney Sanders for the first RBI of the day, and then Sydney Barker and Emerling hit back-to-back RBI singles to extend the advantage to 5-0 at the end of the first.
Barker drove in another run in the second.
She hit the ball to the shortstop and beat out the throw, ensuring Tia Milloy would cross home safely and loading the bases for Emerling.
She then crushed her grand slam, which was backed by a solo home run from Gabbie Garcia to put OU up 11-0.
“(Emerling’s) the one with the swing that everyone in the stadium is like, ‘Whoa, ooh.’ It’s strong and big,” Gasso said. “She’s really been making good progress. Working really hard in the cage, and you can see it starting to form itself a bit. The balls she hit this weekend were smoked. That’s good for us moving forward.”
Emerling said the Sunday explosion was just the fruits of her labor with OU hitting coach JT Gasso paying off.
“Just trusting the process, very process-oriented,” she said. “I’ve been putting the work in the cages, so it’s just a matter of time before it pops up on the field.”
Barker’s third RBI of the game came in the third when she drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing up Emerling with a chance to belt a second grand slam.
The ball didn’t leave Love’s Field, but Emerling did hammer a single through the left side to drive in two more runs.
Then Oklahoma got a bit of great news before the third inning ended.
Hannah Coor was called upon by Gasso to pinch hit for Abby Dayton, marking the redshirt junior’s first appearance since spraining her ankle on the opening day of the season against San Diego State.
Coor singled to drive in two runs, closing out a five-run inning and extending the lead to 16-0.
“It was tough. A lot of rehab and all that,” Coor said. “But I’m definitely used to all of that, so wasn’t too hard, I guess. But it was pretty cool coming in for that at bat and just hearing the crowd.
“But I think the coolest part was everyone got in in that game, and just getting loud for each and every individual that went into that game was pretty cool.”
Isabella Smith got the start for the Sooners in the circle, and she pitched two scoreless innings. Smith allowed one hit and a walk while striking out a pair, then Kierston Deal took over in relief in the third.
She retired the side in order, then handed the ball to Paytn Monticelli who allowed one walk before sitting down the next three batters.
Milloy hit her fifth home run of the year with a solo shot that nearly cleared the juniper bushes in dead center field to put Oklahoma up 17-0.
Lowry allowed a two-out home run to Kansas City’s Grace Batdorf before ending the game with a strikeout.
The Sooners will now turn their attention to SEC action.
Next weekend OU will host No. 19 South Carolina at Love’s Field with the Gamecocks fresh off a three-game sweep of No. 8 Duke.
The first contest between the Sooners and South Carolina is slated for Friday at 6:30 p.m.