The Terrific Ten: Top Performances from February 11th

1. Jocelyn Alo hits #90

Jocelyn Alo wasted no time adding a 9 in front of her home run total, knocking career #90 in the first inning against Mississippi State. The 2-run shot was Alo’s only hit in the game, but it got the Sooner scoring started in a game that finished in a 9-0 OU run-rule win. Alo now sits five home runs from tying Lauren Chamberlain‘s all-time NCAA record and six home runs from holding the record all alone.

No. 9️⃣0️⃣ to the 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 🚀

Just @78jocelyn_alo things 🤙

B1 | OU 2, MSU 0 | 📺 @FloSoftball pic.twitter.com/NVSt6rYEPi

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 12, 2022

2. Upsets in Fort Myers, Puerto Vallarta, and Cedar Falls

Florida Gulf Coast enjoyed a stellar performance in the circle by Emily Estroff, who dominated the Texas offense through six innings of work. She allowed three runs and five hits with three strikeouts and held down some late Texas rallies. At the plate, she added a 2-3 offensive performance with three RBIs to her credit.

Fort Myers wasn’t the only place an upset took place on Friday, though – down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Memphis pulled off a 4-3 win over Long Beach State and had ranked Arkansas on the ropes through six innings in their game against the Hogs. Even ending the day 1-1, the Tigers had some solid performances in both games.

And in an upset that might have snuck under the radar a little bit, South Dakota State fell to Drake in an 11-4 final score at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. The Jackrabbits – picked to win the Summit League in a consensus vote – fell to a Drake squad that tagged pitcher Grace Glanzer with the loss.

3. Oregon’s offense clicking on all cylinders

Ten different Oregon players drove in at least one run during the Ducks’ doubleheader sweep of CSUN. Terra McGowan enjoyed a 4-hit, 4-RBI performance in the first game, while Ariel Carlson and Jasmine Williams added 3-RBI performances in the second game. Jordan Dail threw six innings in the circle in the opening game, though the Ducks have otherwise relied on their young pitching through the season’s first three games.

4. The Cougar “Mom Bomb”

A 13-1 victory to start off the season for Houston included a stellar debut in the circle for pitcher Kenna Wilkey, who struck out seven in her initial start as a Cougar. It was a return rather than a debut that stole the show for UH, though – Becca Schulte, returning to the field after a year away that included having a child, hit a pair of home runs that buoyed her team’s offense. Schulte’s 3-run shot in the first inning started the scoring for Houston and she added another longball in the second inning. Schulte’s home run was the first of her career since March 10, 2020, the last UH game before that season abruptly ended.

5. A “Sweet” Start for Notre Dame

With her Fighting Irish down by a run in the final inning, Notre Dame’s ‘super senior’ standout Abby Sweet came through for her team. Sweet hit a two-out home run to give her Irish the lead in the top of the 7th, a lead they would not relinquish. Sweet hit a pair of home runs on the day, including the go-ahead shot, and helped the Irish start their season with an undefeated 2-0 record.

6. Record-Breaker Destini Brown and the Southern Miss offense

Destini Brown returned to Hattiesburg for one more season, and she put her name atop a Golden Eagle career record. Brown stole the 82nd base of her career on Friday, giving her the program record for swiped bags. The USM offense was clicking well in the season-opening doubleheader, two wins that included a pair of home runs from freshman Alexis Dittmer and Brown’s fellow super senior Tata Davis.

7. Just how good the Arizona offense can be…

Yes, Arizona started the season with two games against the same opponent but there’s no qualifier that makes outscoring opponents 37-1 in two games any less impressive. The Cats’ offense was rolling from the beginning, and the team is deep enough offensively that transfer catcher Bailey Thompson – who led Seattle U in home runs each of the last three seasons prior to transferring – was a defensive-only player in Friday’s second game.

8. Alabama State’s Two-Way Star

Pitcher Bailey Greenlee had quite a day on Friday. For starters, it was her birthday. Then she made her debut as a Hornet, taking the circle and inserted into the lineup against Purdue Fort Wayne. Greenlee went the distance in a complete-game shutout, collecting 17 strikeouts in the circle. At the plate, she added two hits and four RBIs as her team recorded the 7-0 win.

9. The Value of a Relay Secures a Delaware Win

A tight game between Delaware and Indiana State saw scoring get started in the first inning when standout Hanna Garber stole a base and scored a run. The team traded some offensive heroics for the next few innings, and in the bottom of the 7th, Indiana State was threatening a walk-off win. A double with two runners on looked like it could be a game-changer, but a relay throw from the outfield to Garber to the plate caught the would-be tying run at the plate to end the ball game and seal a Blue Hen win. The Blue Hens rode that momentum into their second game of the day, a 3-1 win over Stetson.

10. Maggie Balint stays hot in the circle

After beginning her season with a strikeout-fueled opening victory on Thursday night, Maggie Balint of San Diego State looked really sharp again on Friday in a pitcher’s duel against Stanford and Alana Vawter. Balint collected eleven strikeouts, allowed just one walk and four hits, and gave up just one run, and she absorbed the hard-luck loss when that run was the only one that crossed the plate for either team. Through two games, Balint has allowed just ten base runners and struck out 24 batters.