NORMAN, Okla. (May 21, 2021)-Playing in its first postseason softball game in the program's 28-year history, Morgan State had the unfortunate task of having to take on the No. 1 team in the nation and overall No. 1 seed, the Oklahoma Sooners on their turf.
 
The Lady Bears (24-16) fought till the end, but would eventually fall in their NCAA DI Softball Championship debut, 19-0 in five innings on Friday night on the opening day of the Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field.
 
The host Sooners (46-2) finished the game scoring 19 runs on 18 hits, including four homeruns to raise its season total to 134. Oklahoma also tallied 18 RBIs and four walks on the evening. Tiare Jennings led the way going 4-for-4 with three runs, both game highs.


 
But it was redshirt senior right fielder Nicole Mendes who stole the show. Mendes went 2-for-3 for the night, hitting two homeruns, scoring twice and driving in a game-high seven RBIs to set a new postseason RBI record at Oklahoma.  
 
The Sooners wasted no time jumping out to a 7-0 lead on six hits in the bottom half of the first inning. Oklahoma got on the board when Kinzie Hansen singled to score Jennings. After a throwing error plated the second run of the game, Jayda Coleman hit a two-run homer to left center to increase the lead to 5-0. Mendes grounded out at second to score Taylon Snow and Jennings doubled down the left field line to bring in Jana Johns for the seventh run of the inning.
 
Morgan State's Melissa Paz would make program history in the second inning when she singled up the middle with one out to register the Lady Bears' lone hit of the game, as well as the first hit in Morgan State postseason history.
 
"I'm not only honored but I am so thankful to be able to claim this title," said Paz on recording the hit. "Growing up it is every young girl's dream to be in the NCAA Regional and once we were finally here, it was such a surreal moment to be living."
 
"Being able to hold this title for the rest of Morgan State softball history is such an incredible feeling and I am forever blessed to now hold this great title."
 
The host Sooners went back to work in the bottom half, adding six more runs on five hits. Snow doubled to right center to plate Grace Lyons for an 8-0 lead. Mendes then homered to left center field to increase the Sooners' lead to 12-0. It was her second grand slam of the season. The last run of the inning came on a double to right center hit by Jennings, giving Oklahoma a 13-0 advantage.
 
The hosts tacked on another six runs in the third with two of the runs coming off the bat of Mendes, who would hit her second homer of the evening, this time a two-run shot to left field for a 17-0 lead. Two batters later Joccelyn Alo, who leads the nation in homeruns, homered to left field, making it a 19-0 game.
 
Emily Raubuch, who came in relief in the third inning, limited the Sooners to two hits and no runs in the fourth.
 
Paz finished the game going 1-for-2 and Jalian Young drew a walk to become Morgan State's only other base runner for the game. Paz also pitched an inning and provided the only strikeout for the Morgan State staff.
 
"Being able to play the No. 1 team was a true once in a life time opportunity. Not everyone can say that they have faced the best of the best and we just did," said Paz. Regardless of the outcome, this was just a great learning experience to help us grow not only as individual players, but as a team that is full of great women from all over."
 
Morgan State will look to regroup when it faces Texas A&M in an elimination game on Saturday, May, 22 at 5:30 p.m. The Aggies fell to Wichita State, 9-7 in the opening game.
 
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Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.