LEXINGTON, Ky. -- In a sneak peek at what could be an exciting rivalry in the future of SEC softball, Oklahoma showed why it carried the nation's No. 1 ranking into Tuesday's game at Kentucky.
The Sooners clubbed six home runs -- including two by the NCAA's new career record-holder,Jocelyn Alo -- en route to a 9-1 victory over the No. 8 Wildcats at John Cropp Stadium.
Demonstrating the power from top to bottom in its lineup, Oklahoma (26-0) also got a pair of home runs from its 6-hole hitter, Lynnsie Elam, and two from Alyssa Brito out of the 9 hole.
"That is by far the best team that we have played this year," UK coach Rachel Lawson said of the Sooners. "I don't think we played our best game, but I also think that they had a lot to do with it. They're very physical, very dominating.
"The message I just sent to the team afterward was you need to take a minute and understand what you just saw because that's what it looks like to do certain things right and dominate."
A Cropp Stadium regular-season record crowd of 2,117 fans showed up for the Top 10 matchup. It marked the second-largest crowd in program history, trailing only the 2013 SEC championship game.
Kentucky threatened on occasion against Oklahoma starter Jordy Bahl, but the freshman right-hander allowed only one run -- a solo home run by UK's Renee Abernathy in the fourth inning -- on five hits while striking out 12.
Bahl (11-0) was the national high school player of the year before signing with the Sooners.
The Cats missed a big opportunity early in the game against Bahl when they loaded the bases with no outs but could not plate a run. A force out at home and back to back strikeouts preserved a 1-0 lead for Oklahoma.
UK put two runners on with no outs in the fifth inning, but Bahl came up with two big strikeouts before getting Erin Coffel to fly out on the left-field warning track, a ball that appeared to have a chance of leaving the park for a three-run homer that would have cut the deficit to 7-4. A heavy wind blowing directly in from the outfield may have prevented it from getting over the wall.
Miranda Stoddard (5-3) started for UK in the circle and took the loss, allowing six runs on six hits and one walk. The Sooners did not strike out once against the Cats' starter and had only three on the night, all coming against UK reliever Izzy Harrison.
Kentucky (20-6) was coming off a win in the series finale against No. 3 Alabama this past weekend. The Cats will return to the diamond on Friday with a three-game series against No. 18 Auburn.
