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OU softball’s new faces took little time to make impressions, while returners played strongly as well. 

The reigning Southeastern Conference champions gave fans a first look at seven newcomers — sophomore transfer pitcher Maili Guachino, senior transfer pitcher Sydney Berzon, freshman pitcher/utility player Allyssa Parker, freshman catcher Kendall Wells, freshman infielder Lexi McDaniel, freshman pitcher Berkley Zache and freshman outfielder Kai Minor — in Battle Series 1 with teams, Bob, Barry and Brent, drawing a crowd of 2,351.

Berzon, a transfer from Louisiana State University who finished last season with a 2.46 ERA and 18 wins, opened the game with two clean innings and struck out one. In the third, Berkeley  Zache gave up the loudest swing of the night, a solo home run from her sister, Riley Zache. Wells responded with a statement in the fifth inning for Barry with a home run to left field after struggling early on.

Overall, Guachino and Parker shined. Guachino, who logged 172 strikeouts last season at the University of Mississippi, looked sharp in three innings. She struck out five, allowed one hit, a run and overpowered hitters down the stretch to close out innings cleanly. Parker, on the other hand, posted a 0.10 ERA with 224 strikeouts in her senior high school season and handled three innings of work and worked around errors to allow just one run with two strikeouts.

Sophomore infiedler/outfielder Sydney Barker, infielder Gabbie Garcia, junior utility player Ella Parker, sophomore infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, senior infielder/pitcher Ailana Agbayani and sophomore outfielder Chaney Helton excelled out of the returner group.

Garcia and Barker put on a late scoring parade, with Garcia blasting a two-run homer in the fifth inning that followed Wells’ solo bomb and Barker launching an out-of-the-park homer in the seventh. Parker, McEnroe-Marinas, Agbayani and Helton then contributed extra-base hits in the ninth inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues to turn a quiet night into a statement finish for the squad. 

Next, the Sooners face East Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Tuesday at John Cain Family Softball Field. 

This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.