OU softball power barrage leads to another Sooners sweep
OU softball was limited to two hits in Saturday’s win. Two. That just does not happen to the Sooners. And boy, did they send a message to close out the series.
OU hit a whopping five home runs on its way to an 11-7 victory at UCF to wrap up a three-game sweep in the final true road games of its season.
The Sooners had to bring their offense because Nicole May allowed four runs in the first two innings. But the bats were alive and well.
Ella Parker with two of them. Tiare Jennings added another. Kasidi Pickering and Kinzie Hansen also got into the fun.
OU was able to get a couple of big innings, and then Kelly Maxwell was able to shut things down. A slugfest in the making turned into just a runaway win for OU.
The Sooners trailed 4-2 entering the top of third and put up four runs. Then with OU up 7-5, the Sooners scored four runs on three home runs, all with two outs, in the top of the fifth.
Maxwell pitched the next 4.1 innings, allowing two runs. Then Kierston Deal came in for the final two outs, giving up a solo HR.
Now? Time to go home. Time for Bedlam and time to decide the Big 12 championship. Oklahoma State is at OU from Friday-Sunday next weekend.
OU 2, UCF 1 (Saturday)
On a day where OU had two hits as a team, it was still enough. Kierston Deal was brilliant in the circle, and the Sooners earned the 2-1 victory at Central Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Deal allowed a two-out run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh but was able to finish the job. She went the distance, allowing zero earned runs, two hits and striking out four.
Deal is now 11-1 this season and needed just 92 pitches to help OU to another series victory.
Tiare Jennings hit a solo home run in a two-run fourth and that was basically it. The Sooners went 2-for-24 as a team Saturday.
The win, though? It’s No. 1,500 in the remarkable career for head coach Patty Gasso. She becomes just the third softball coach to reach that plateau.
OU 10, UCF 2 (Friday)
There’s consistency, and then there’s whatever OU softball pitcher Kelly Maxwell has been doing lately for the Sooners.
One Friday after another. One dominant outing after another. It did not stop on this Friday night at Central Florida.
OU scored early and let Maxwell do the rest on its way to a 10-2 victory against host UCF in the first of the final three road games of the season.
Something we’ve seen quite a bit in Big 12 play when OU is visiting is the Sooners jumping out to the early start. You knew UCF was going to come out fired up after only scoring one run in a three-game sweep vs. Baylor last weekend.
The way you stop any momentum from forming is by making the early statement. OU did exactly that with a five-spot in the top of the first. The key hits were a two-run single by Kasidi Pickering, and then a two-run home run by Alyssa Brito.
Maxwell with a 1-0 lead is dangerous enough. Give her a five-spot cushion? Just let her work. Maxwell actually gave up a lot of hits (8) but worked her way to another fine outing.
Maxwell went 6.1 innings, allowing the one run with two walks and five strikeouts. Karlie Keeney came in for the final two outs.
