No. 4 OU (13-2) finished the Marry Nutter Classic 5-1 with wins against No. 14 Duke (9-7), No. 23 Washington (10-6), San Diego State (10-5), Cal State Fullerton (6-9) and California (5-10) and a loss to Long Beach State (9-6). 

Here are takeaways: 

Sooners find reliable arm in sophomore pitcher

Sophomore pitcher Miali Guachino was a major in OU’s success, as her performances in the circle helped anchor the Sooners in multiple wins.

Guachino started the weekend leading the Sooners to a five-inning 10-2 run rule against San Diego State.  She threw all five frames, tallying eight strikeouts on just four hits and two earned runs. 

Against No. 14 Duke, Guachino provided two crucial innings of relief for sophomore starter Audrey Lowry. She delivered two scoreless frames, striking out two to shut the door and secure the victory. Her performance behind Lowry was encouraging for a Sooner rotation that had question marks coming into this season.

She followed that performance with a start against No. 23 Washington on Sunday. In the Sooners’ run-rule win, Guachino threw all five innings, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. She surrendered two earned runs but maintained control throughout, keeping Washington’s offense in check as the OU bats surged ahead.

Guachino’s efficiency and composure across both appearances helped anchor the pitching staff and preserve momentum.

OU drops second game of the year to Long Beach State

In an upset Saturday night, Long Beach State defeated OU 6-4 in a game highlighted by a four-run sixth inning that secured the victory.

The Sooners’ second loss of the year came following difficult outings from senior pitcher Sydney Berzon and sophomore pitcher Audry Lowry. Berzon pitched for 2.1 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs before exiting. Lowry entered in relief and pitched, three innings where she tallied three strikeouts while giving up three hits. She allowed four runs, three of which were earned as OU was unable to slow the Long Beach State offense.

OU’s offense stalled throughout the game as it left 10 runners on base. Juniors utility player Ella Parker and outfielder Kasidi Pickering went a combined 1-6, with neither scoring or batting in a run. Without the help of the two cornerstone players, the Sooners’ offense wasn’t able to generate much. 

Though it wasn’t their best outing, Pickering and Parker finished last season as the teams number one and two in batting average and have carried that success into this season. Pickering, through 15 games, is hitting .525 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Parker is right behind her, batting .463 with six homers of her own and 17 RBIs.

Sooners’ weekend highlighted by two ranked wins

OU’s 5-1 showing at the Mary Nutter Classic not only improved its record but strengthened its early-season resume. The Sooners secured two top-25 victories, defeating No. 14 Duke and No. 23 Washington.

OU outscored Duke and Washington by a combined margin of 26-3, faring significantly better against ranked competition than it did against the unranked opponents in the tournament. The Sooners needed extra innings to edge Cal State Fullerton 6-5 and were pushed in a 7-5 win over California. 

Though there were tests, in just a six-game weekend, the Sooners scored a total of 53 runs as they look to carry momentum into the next chunk of their schedule.

Next, OU will host Alabama State in its home opener at 6 p.m. Thursday at Love’s Field on SECN+

This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.

Commenting policy: We value civility and do not tolerate the spreading of misinformation or degrading posts on topics like race, religion or culture. We monitor our comment sections and will delete such when necessary.

Guest columns: Focus on issues, not personalities, in fewer than 500 words. Submissions are published by the editor based on timeliness, relevance and civility after editing for accuracy and style. To submit,
visit our form.