NORMAN — OU softball senior Alyssa Brito had a big night Thursday, belting a pair of home runs in the second inning of the Oklahoma Battle Series intrasquad matchup.

She later added an RBI double as well.

“She loves softball,” OU coach Patty Gasso said of Brito. “I don’t think there’s someone that I’ve seen — I mean (Rylie) Boone loves it too, but Brito is just in tune with everything all the time. I think she knows it’s her senior year and I think that is the attitude of ‘I’m not going to waste a minute of my time.’”

Brito hit .412 with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs last season, slugging .824.

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She’s also in the mix at shortstop to replace Grace Lyons.

Tiare Jennings and Avery Hodge are also in that mix as well.

“I have great options,” Gasso said. “For this team, it’s really important that you play great defense but you can also swing the bat, so that’s probably what it’s going to end up coming down to.”

With Lyons holding down shortstop in recent years, Jennings has excelled at that spot.

Gasso also said Jennings’ success there could make it difficult to move her from the position.

Here are three other takeaways from the Sooners’ third Battle Series matchup, which includes a unique scoring approach:

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Quincee Lilio 'jarred' by foul ball while on deck

There was a scary moment near the end of Thursday’s Oklahoma Battle Series matchup at Marita Hynes Field.

Left-hander Rylie Boone fouled off a ball that hit on-deck hitter Quincee Lilio in the facemask.

Lilio dropped to her knees and remained down for several moments before being helped back into the dugout.

“They’re still looking at her,” Gasso said a few minutes after the incident. “I think it scared her more than anything. I think it really jarred her facemask pretty good. They’re testing her right now. I don’t know the details.”

Gasso said she hadn’t seen anything like that happen.

“That’s a really … I don’t know, it could happen with a lefty, but the angle is so extreme that it was really … It was a hard pitch that was swung at late,” Gasso said.

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Riley Ludlam settling in

Furman transfer Riley Ludlam, a catcher/utility player, has spent the fall getting acclimated to the Sooners.

“The fall is huge to just get my feet wet I think,” Ludlam said. “Even just pitching speeds. I’m kind of used to more 60s and here I’m facing Paytn (Monticelli) who’s throwing 69 consistently.”

Ludlam said Kinzie Hansen has helped her adjust to handling those pitchers behind the plate.

“Every little thing that she can give me pointers on, she does, and in practice she pushed me hard,” Ludlam said. “I try to do the same for her. It’s been awesome getting to work with her.”

Gasso said she mainly had looked at Ludlam’s numbers before pulling the trigger in the transfer portal.

“We got blindsided twice and we had to grab somebody quickly,” Gasso said. “Got to see a little bit of her video and just her size and her numbers were good. She was a leader and a captain of her team. She’s a little bit raw. This is a new level for her so even her swing looks a little raw, but it’s strong and she can do things. If you put it in the right place she’s going to absolutely smash it.”

Ludlam had a pair of hits Thursday, including a first-inning home run to right.

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Hannah Coor blasts pair

Hannah Coor was expected to play an expanded role for the Sooners last season after appearing in 40 games primarily as a pinch runner in her freshman season of 2022.

But Coor’s sophomore season was cut short after just four games after suffering a back injury.

Coor’s back remains an issue, but she fought through it Thursday to blast a pair of home runs.

“She had a good Battle Series last time we played, so I specifically wanted to put her in a leadoff position,” Gasso said. “She showed out. Not just at the plate but some of her throws from right field were just money.”

Coor is “managing” her back pain in order to stay available.

“It’s just pain and frustration,” Gasso said. “She had the surgery and we’re just trying to get it to allow her to sleep at night or go through a practice without all this pain, and it just happens every single day. It’s a mental stretch on her. It’s really tough. You can see it. She’s got her heat pack on in the dugout. She’s trying to do everything she can to stay in the game.”

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball's Alyssa Brito 'in tune with everything' during fall camp