The UTEP softball team’s game with No. 4 Oklahoma, part of the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament, probably looked fun when it was scheduled, before the scoreboard stopped spinning at a 34-0 Sooner win.
And truthfully, the Miners did have some fun in a day that began with a 5-4 walkoff win against Idaho State. For the UTEP players who grew up knowing Oklahoma as their sport’s juggernaut, winners of four straight national championships from 2021 to 2024 (an NCAA record eight overall), this was their opportunity to share the field with greatness.
That was appreciated, even in a rough Sunday where OU scored five more runs that it did in its last trip to the Helen of Troy Softball Complex in 2021 (a 29-0 Sooner victory).
“It’s a one-time opportunity I feel like,” said shortstop Marissa Buchard, who had one of UTEP’s three hits and was flawless in the field. “To come out here and have fun, do what I do, having fun playing them, was good.’
Righfielder Halle Hogan echoed that.
“Today was an experience that was once in a lifetime,” Hogan said. “Our first game against Idaho State was a great win to get us back in the groove. Then having the opportunity to play a top 5 team in the country, best team in the country for 15 years, it was a great opportunity for us to learn from them.
“We took a lot from this team, they’ve done a lot for women’s sports. We’re going to take what we learned from them and use it to our advantage.”
What Oklahoma did on this weekend was spread their elite brand to the Borderplex. They spent the previous two days at the Troy Cox Classic, New Mexico State’s tournament, where they won four games by a combined score of 57-9. After the five wins in three days they are 8-1.
They then made the trip down I-10 for a quick stop in El Paso that left them scrambling to make a 4:30 p.m. flight. Sunday’s win over UTEP ended at 2:30 p.m. at which point the Sooners left for the Durham Center to shower.
They also brought a large contingent of fans who seemed quite pleased with their trip to the border.
“This was a very productive trip for us,” said legendary coach Patty Gasso said, who will coach the US softball team in the 2028 Olympics. “We got to use a lot of pitchers in the process, get a lot of players in the field more. There were a lot of opportunities this weekend and everybody made the most of it.”
OU put Sunday’s game away early, as their first eight batters combined for seven singles and a double, and all of them scored in an eight-run first. UTEP did manage its biggest highlight in that top of the first when left fielder Cece Marquez made a diving catch in foul territory on a player where Nelly McEnroe-Marinas recorded an RBI sacrifice fly.
UTEP turned a double play defensively while blanking Oklahoma in the second inning, but the Sooners then had two grand slams in a 12-run third. They had three grand slams in the game as part of their five home runs, a significantly smaller number than the NCAA record 13 home runs they had in the 2021 opener against UTEP.
That all marked part of a long early afternoon for the Miners, but one where they learned from college softball’s greatest program.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners softball tops UTEP 34-0, sweeps two tournaments
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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