OU vs. Texas softball: Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen lead Sooners' rally past Longhorns

NORMAN — Kinzie Hansen never makes it about herself.

The senior catcher prefers to stay out of the spotlight, hidden behind a mask whenever she’s on defense. She’d much rather leave the glory for OU’s pitchers, who she constantly gives words of encouragement to.

“It’s not about me,” Hansen said. “That’s something that I’ve learned over the past four years of being here. … Whatever (the pitcher) needs to hear to be at their best for the team, I’m going to give them that. That’s something that I find a lot of joy in.”

But Hansen found herself in the spotlight during OU’s 4-3 win over Texas on Saturday.

The top-ranked Sooners trailed the No. 8 Longhorns 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning when Jayda Coleman delivered. She launched a two-run home run over the wall in left field, tying the game and breathing new life in the crowd at Marita Hynes Field.

OU went on to load the bases with one out before Hansen stepped up to the plate.

All eyes were on Hansen, who battled to a 1-2 count before connecting on a pitch. Hansen sent the ball right up the heart of Texas’ defense for a walk-off single, sealing the Sooners' 51st consecutive home victory.

"I am really proud of this team," OU softball head coach Patty Gasso said. "As long as they have three outs, they feel they can win any game they're in. And they did. So that's just really a special group of athletes that can work like that."

Here are four takeaways from the win:

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OU's bats get off to slow start

OU hoped to strike first in the bottom of the opening inning, and it appeared to be off to a good start when Tiare Jennings sent a line drive down the first base line.

The crowd at Marita Hynes Field rose to its feet, expecting the ball to roll into the outfield.

But those cheers turned into a collective groan when Texas first baseman Katie Cimusz made a back-handed snag before tagging the base for the out.

OU struggled to get anything past Texas' stout defense in the early going. The Sooners only recorded one hit in the first three innings.

"I think we were overthinking it a little bit," Hansen said of the slow start. "And when our lineup is at our best is when we're playing off instinct."

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Grace Lyons settles in after early blunder

Grace Lyons has fielded countless ground balls throughout her five-year OU career.

But this one got away.

The score read 0-0 with two outs in the top of the second inning when Texas' Ashton Maloney sent a ground ball toward Lyons. The veteran shortstop bobbled the catch, which bought Maloney enough time to beat the throw to first base.

One run scored, giving Texas a 1-0 lead. It was an uncharacteristic miscue by Lyons, but she bounced back two at-bats later.

Another ground ball came Lyons' way, and this time she made the diving stop before flipping the ball to second base for the out.

Lyons' play stopped the bleeding, which is a point of emphasis for OU's defense.

"They just continue to kill momentum from our opponent," Gasso said. "It's really become kind of the backbone of our program and something we know we can always count on. ... It creates momentum by bringing us back in the dugout with big plays that they make."

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Alex Storako keeps OU within striking distance

Texas' Jordyn Whitaker didn't go down without a fight.

OU pitcher Alex Storako needed one more out to end the top of the third inning, and all that stood in her way was Whitaker. The two battled to a full count before Storako unleashed her sixth pitch.

Whitaker swung her bat but came up empty as the ball zipped past her for a strikeout. The crowd at Marita Hynes Field then erupted as Storako let out a powerful roar before jogging to the dugout.

She was feeling it.

OU's bats struggled all Saturday, but Storako kept her team within striking distance.

The redshirt senior right-hander recorded five strikeouts in the first three innings. She finished with six strikeouts and one earned run in six innings pitched.

"I thought Alex (Storako) did a good job," Gasso said. "(Storako) kept us in the game."

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OU's bats deliver when it matters most

OU struggled to generate momentum at the plate all afternoon, but it did exactly that when it mattered most.

Three of the Sooners’ four runs came in the seventh inning. They also recorded four of their nine hits.

"(We knew) that it was going to be a dogfight," Hansen said of the final inning. "Let's just got out there a freaking play. That's what we were saying to each other. And there was some barking going on. And there was a whole lot of fight. And that's all that really mattered to me."

OU (32-1, 5-0 Big 12) now looks to complete the three-game sweep of Texas (30-7-1, 3-2) at 11 a.m. Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU vs Texas softball: Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen lead Sooners' rally