OKLAHOMA CITY — No. 1 Oklahoma beat No. 9/8 Texas 8-1 in game one of the three-game Red River series in front of a record-breaking crowd of 8,930 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. 

The attendance number shattered the previous NCAA single-game regular season attendance number of 5,724 set by Fresno State in a doubleheader vs. Arizona at Bulldog Diamond in Fresno, Calif., in 2000. 

"I will tell you—I love our Sooner fans—but I didn't think I could love him any more than I did tonight," said head coach Patty Gasso. "I think as I'm older and I've been around, I see things that are new, and maybe some people take it for granted. But I just remember sitting in the stadium when I was in my late 20s watching the World Series with 2,000 people thinking that's the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life. And now you've got 9,000 people watching a conference game here and it was unreal. I was feeling chills. Those are big moments for our sport, and big, big moments for our team."

Oklahoma (31-1, 4-0) blasted three home runs on the night to propel the Sooners to their 28th win in the last 29 contests vs. the Horns (30-6-1, 3-1). In the circle, after surrendering a leadoff home run in the first inning, sophomore Jordy Bahl settled in and allowed just one more hit the remainder of the game while striking out six. 

After Texas went up early on the leadoff homer by Leighann Goode, Bahl's first run given up in six games, Oklahoma responded in the bottom half of the inning via an RBI single from junior Tiare Jennings to plate fellow junior All-American Jayda Coleman. 

The Sooner bats got hot in the second inning with back-to-back jacks from Jennings and super senior Haley Lee. Jennings' three-run shot was her eighth of the season to move into a tie of the team lead while Lee hit her seventh of 2023. It was the sixth time this year OU has hit back-to-back homers. 

A scoreless affair ensued from the third to sixth innings with Jordy Bahl retiring seven of the nine batters she faced in the frames. 

In the sixth, Oklahoma put up a crooked number with three runs on four hits to bring the final to 8-1. After a bunt single from Rylie Boone and Jennings double, Lee brought in Jennings on an RBI single, her second run batted in off the contest. A batter later, senior Kinzie Hansen went yard for the seventh time of the season on a two-run shot to left center. 

Following a leadoff walk in the seventh, Bahl retired the side to secure OU's nation-leading 23rd straight win. 

Jennings paced OU with a 3-for-4 performance to go with a double and home run and four RBIs. It was her third three-hit performance of the year and 17th of her career. Four other Sooners registered multi-hit games with Lee, Hansen, Lyons and Boone all recording two base knocks with Lee and Hansen bringing in a pair. 

Bahl moved to 9-1 on the season in the complete-game effort, striking out six and allowing one run on two hits and four walks. 

The win was OU's eighth straight over UT in OKC and moved OU to 12-4 all-time vs. Texas in OKC. Overall, OU is 136-50 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex under Coach Gasso, including a 57-10 mark since 2016 to go with four national titles.

The rivals turn around for an 11 a.m. CT first pitch in Norman on Saturday for game two of the three-game set. The game will be shown to national audience on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins, Michele Smith and Amanda Scarborough on the call. The contest can be heard via 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity app.  

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