June 30, 2025
By Jack Carlough
LOVELAND, Colo. — Getting at least one run across in every inning is typically a solid formula for winning softball games.
With a large crowd on hand at the Barnes Complex in Loveland, the hard-hitting Oklahoma City Spark accomplished just that on Monday in a convincing 12-3 win over the Florida Vibe. Oklahoma City, comprised largely of current and former University of Oklahoma softball standouts, improved to 1-0 in the inaugural TC Colorado Pro Cup Fastpitch event, powered by Triple Crown Sports.
Although only five innings were needed to induce the mercy rule, OKC’s offense exploded for five runs in the first, two in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Equally as impressive, the Spark rocked three home runs and eight different players recorded at least one hit.
“We can hit a home run at any point in the lineup,” said OKC head coach Amber Flores. “I think the most impressive thing, too, is that we can run... We can do it all, one through nine.”
To Flores’ point, cleanup hitter Kinzie Hansen, two-hole Alyssa Brito and six-hole Sydney Sherrill each sent a ball over the Barnes Complex fence. Hansen and Brito played at Oklahoma, and Sherrill is a Florida State product.
“I'm feeling pretty good,” Hansen said of her confidence at the plate. “We're just having fun with each other. I think that the last five years playing at OU, there's a tremendous amount of pressure. So being able to come out here with all the same teammates and just have fun all over again, it's almost like it takes the weight off. I feel really confident, but then again, I'm not really forcing myself in my brain to feel like I got a hit.”
Leadoff Rylie Boone (two hits), first baseman Jocelyn Alo (two hits, two RBIs) and right fielder Alynah Torres (two hits, two RBIs) also enjoyed a strong day at the plate for OKC.
In the circle, University of Minnesota product Amber Fiser allowed three runs in four innings pitched while striking out three.
“We talked about this early on as a team: every game we play we want to win,” said Flores, a former Oklahoma player and the current head coach at Seminole State. “It means a lot to these players. They don't come out and big league anything. They get after it, they play really hard and they're super competitive.”
Along with its will to win, the Spark takes pride in growing the game of softball.
“It's really fun to see all the little girls out here that aren't able to come watch us in Oklahoma City or didn't get to see us play in college,” Hansen said. “It's really a blessing to be out here and grow the game. Not many of these girls probably know much about pro softball, so being able to come represent in that way is really fun.”
After scoring two runs in the opening frame, Florida’s offense struggled to string multiple hits together against OKC’s arms. First baseman Taylor Pleasants had two hits and an RBI, shortstop Jillian Celis produced an RBI single in the third and second baseman Hannah Adams roped a double but failed to score.
Both squads are back in action Tuesday at the Triple Crown Sports complex in Fort Collins. Florida will face the New York Rise (10 a.m.) and TC Colorado (2 p.m.), and the Spark will battle TC Colorado (10 a.m.) and New York (2 p.m.). Bracket play begins Wednesday at the Christopher Complex in Westminster.
