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Lexi McDaniel states her case, OU softball cruises vs. Kentucky, 9-1

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo04/03/26BPrzybylo

It is too simplistic to say that it does not matter who OU head coach Patty Gasso puts at first base. Regardless of anything, that player is going to succeed.

But it is almost laughable because whoever gets their chance at the position is always making the most of it.

It was time for freshman Lexi McDaniel on Friday. And all she did was hit a two-run home run and drive in five in the 9-1 run-rule victory (5 innings) for OU against visiting Kentucky at Love’s Field.

It was just McDaniel’s 15th start, but it was her ninth home run. Between Allyssa Parker, Isabela Emerling and McDaniel, take your pick. McDaniel has had to wait her turn but will continue to give Gasso something to think about for the lineup card.

“Honestly, I think that it’s really great to be able to trust the process,” McDaniel told SoonerScoop. “Being able to kinda learn from the people in front of me. Everyone here is so good. Anytime there is an opportunity to step in and do what I work on in practice. Ultimately, I love learning from the other players, for sure.”

The patience of OU was on full display as well. OU scored on back-to-back walks with the bases loaded. McDaniel was one of those.

Then in putting up four in the bottom of the second, all came with two outs. McDaniel had a two-run single in that frame. It was an RBI infield single by Kasidi Pickering and a smashed run-producing double by Ella Parker that came before that.

“I think you said it,” Gasso said. “Two outs, we’re scoring four or five runs with two outs. Two-strike hitting, fouling things off, turning it into a walk. It’s really an elite level of hitters right now, and I’ll talk about it later, the fans really ignite this group and they really want to do it for this program, but they want to do it for the fans as well.”

And, of course, freshman Kendall Wells got in on the act. A 275-foot bomb in the bottom of the third gave Wells her 29th home run this season.

OU pitcher Miali Guachino gave up a solo home run and then retired the next nine. It was her first outing since the complete game victory at LSU last weekend. She struck out three in her four innings.

Guachino is now 11-0 this season.

“I was feeling great, honestly,” Guachino said. “Just trying to come in and get outs for the team so they can do what they do, hit and score a lot of runs. Just changing speeds was working today, keeping them off balance so they didn’t know what was coming next. Attacking the zone early, getting them to have the weak pop ups. Just getting outs.”

Parker closed the show in the fifth.

Up next

Let’s close this series out. OU (37-3 overall, 10-1 SEC) hosts Kentucky one more time, 11 a.m. Saturday, going for the sweep on Easter weekend.

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