Kaitlyn Breslin etched her name into the NCAA softball record books with a historic performance, blasting four home runs in a single game against Creighton to tie the all-time record.
The reigning Big East Player of the Week continued her red-hot streak at the plate with a remarkable outing that featured a solo shot in the second inning, a two-run blast in the third, and back-to-back home runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Her four-home-run game makes her the latest player to achieve this prestigious milestone — a feat accomplished only a handful of times in NCAA history, most recently by Arkansas’ Danielle Gibson against SIUE on February 23, 2019.
It’s been a back-and-forth affair as the two teams have combined for 32 hits on the evening and have yet to finish the game.
The game is currently suspended in the top of the sixth inning, with UConn leading Creighton 21-18. Breslin will have a chance to claim sole possession of the record when play resumes on Saturday at 2:00 PM ET, with two outs in the top of the sixth.
No. 14 Tennessee comes through in extras, downs No. 2 OU
That’s what you might expect from Oklahoma and Tennessee softball, and that’s what the two teams delivered Friday night.
There won’t be much separation between the two teams. Big hit here, catch there or maybe an important review. It’s going to be that type of weekend.
That hit? Came from a former Sooner. Tennessee catcher Sophia Nugent hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth that proved to be the difference in a 5-2 win (8 innings) against the host Sooners at Love’s Field.
The Vols added one more in the eighth on a wild pitch. Karlyn Pickens did the rest. The Tennessee flamethrower thrower tossed 5.2 innings in relief for starter Sage Mardjetko. Pickens earned her 11th win of the season after allowing one run on six hits and striking out six batters.
Oklahoma almost had the walk-off shot in the bottom of the seventh. Hannah Coor began with a bloop infield single. Following a strikeout, it was a single by Nelly McEnroe-Marinas. Then Kasidi Pickering hit a single to right field, but Coor was thrown out at the plate in attempting to score the walk-off run. Gabbie Garcia grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.
Tennessee freshman Amayah Doyle hit a two-run homer off of Sam Landry in the second. She needed 50 pitches to get through the initial two innings.
Landry settled down and did it in a hurry. She needed just a mere 61 pitches in the next five frames and kept the Sooners in position to be in position. Landry threw a career-high 141 pitches on the night, after throwing 70 on Wednesday.
The Sooners got on the board with a sacrifice fly from freshman Gabbie Garcia in the bottom of the third. Abby Dayton hit just her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth off of Pickens to tie the game.
Oklahoma and Tennessee will lock up again at 1 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.