Oklahoma Closes Fall Ball Slate With a 10-4 Win Over North Texas

[OU_Tom]

https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/.am ... orth-texas

[OUBeliever56A]

Pitching Recap of Sooner Softball – OU 10 – North Texas 4

In front of the 3rd sellout crowd for a Fall Ball game the Sooners responded with a good 10-4 win over the Mean Green. The crowd was their early as the line outside the gates was a couple hundred people deep when the gates opened at 6 PM for the 7:00 PM first pitch. The capacity crowd got their first opportunity to cheer for the new Love’s Field Softball Field as Jenny Love Meyer, executive VP of Love’s, threw out the first pitch before the game. The team awarded her with her own Jersey and a framed picture after her toss to Kinzie Hansen behind the plate. There was a great deal of joy as Ms. Meyer joined the team in their pregame circle-chant at the pitching circle. With the game being played on Veteran’s Day, the Sooners wore special game day jerseys with Oklahoma in red, whit and blue. Now for the game action.

The pregame activities were normal for the Sooners. A couple of things were noticed, however. There were 3 players missing. Alo, Snow and Waitman were not in uniform for the game. One would show up a little later for the game. The pitching group included all five pitchers. (Trautwein, May, McAdoo, Bahl and Guthrie) But May was wearing sweatpants with her uniform top instead of the normal uniform attire. She looked to be favoring her right leg slightly as she moved around as she ran out to the 3rd base line during warmups. The one point of good news for me was that Lilio was on the field working with the OF group. The OF group included Donihoo, Boone, J Coleman, T Coleman, Coor and Lilio (#43). The INF group was Elam, Johns, Nugent, Lyons, Jennings and Brito. Hansen was in the bullpen with Bahl.

The defensive lineup and batting order for the Sooners were as follows.
1) Boone RF, 2) Hansen C, 3) Johns 3B, 4) Lyons SS, 5) Jennings 2B, 6) J Coleman CF, 7) Elam 1B, 8) Donihoo LF, 9) Brito DP and 10) Bahl at P.

OU Pitching:
Bahl started the game strongly with 3 Ks in the top of the first. The top of the second included two groundouts to SS and 2B and a third out K by Bahl. The top of the third included 2 more Ks and a ground out to 3B.

The top of the 4th for Bahl started routinely with a new defensive alignment behind her. Brito was at 3B and T Coleman was in RF. After a K by Bahl to open the inning, Brito fielded her first ball as a Sooner I think for the 2nd out of the inning at 3B. The next hitter for North Texas hit a high chopper up the middle that got through the infield for the first hit against Bahl. Very uncharacteristically, Bahl walked the next hitter on four pitches. She did not miss by much on any pitch. With runners on 1st and 2nd, the clean-up hitter for NT hit a ground ball to left field between SS -3B for a single. The throw from LF was to the plate but was late as a run scored and the runners moved up on the throw home. With runners now on 2nd and 3rd, Bahl again issued a walk. Again, she was not wild as the close pitches were not getting called for her. I think there was a bit of gamesmanship going on as well as I think the NT hitters were trying to not swing and make Bahl throw pitches more over the plate. The next hitter singled up the middle on a ground ball to plate 2 runs. Once again, the throw from the OF was late and the trailing runners moved up a base. Bahl got a much-needed K against the next hitter to end the 4th inning with the Sooners ahead 5-3.

With further defensive changes for the Sooners made (T Coleman moved to LF, Coor moved into RF and Johns entered at 1B) Bahl opened the 5th with her 3rd walk of the game after getting ahead on a 0-2 count against the hitter. Bahl got her 9th strikeout of the game against the next hitter. At that point her night was finished as Coach Gasso went to the pitching circle to give advice and replace Bahl with Trautwein. Here are my thoughts about Bahl’s outing. Despite the three hits (all ground balls) and the 3 walks (with very close pitches) I am not discouraged about her fall at all. She has pitched 17.1 innings and allowed 7 hits with all but one (a 3B) being singles and I think all were ground balls. She totaled 3 walks and 41 Ks in those 17/1 innings. Now I understand that in three games the competition was not all that great, but she threw strikes and came right at the hitters with strikes seldom I the same spot twice. She also did that tonight. She seemed to be just missing especially inside on right had hitters. I would not say she got squeezed by the home plate umpire, but the umpire certainly did not ‘give’ her any call either. Bahl will be good. I think very good. She keeps the ball down in the zone with the ball moving in and out and down. I think there will not be many balls hit in the air against her. She can and does get outs with her version of a rise ball. But that is not where she lives as a pitcher. She is throwing hard with many pitches at or above 70 mph. Do not let this effort or results dim your expectations for Bahl.

In the meantime, Trautwein promptly struck out the next two hitters to end the fifth. The top of the sixth included a defensive change as Elam entered the game at catcher. After a K by Trautwein to open the top of the 6th, A ball was flared down the line in short LF. T Coleman looked to have the ball tracked for an out but the ball fell out of her glove after a long run. The play was ruled a double by the scorer, but I think the ball should have and 99.9% of the time will be caught by T Coleman. After a short popup in LF that was caught by Lyons for the second out the 5th hitter in the NT lineup hit a hard single to the wall in RC. J Coleman on a nice play, easily threw out the batter at second base trying to stretch the hit to a double for the final out of the inning. But the runner on second scored before the tag for the 4th run of the game by North Texas.

The 7th inning included a defensive switch with Coor moving to LF and Boone re-entering into RF. Trautwein began to dominate her former team with a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th with 3 Ks. A host of defensive changes were made in the 8th. Nugent entered at catcher, Elam moved to 1B, Bahl entered and played 2B, Boone moved to LF and Lilio entered to play RF. Trautwein repeated that effort in the 8th with three straight Ks. Trautwein’s night would be over at that point as she tossed 3.2 IP with 2 hits, 1 run and 9 Ks. Trautwein’s fall effort has been very impressive also. She has pitched 13.0 innings allowing 5 hits, 1 run with 29 Ks and 0 walks. I am really encouraged to see how well Trautwein has pitched in the fall. She has been a pitcher’s pitcher by throwing Ks and not allowing much of anything by the other team. As noted above, I think she could have not allowed a run all fall if the play in LF would have been normally made.

McAdoo pitched the 9th with a few more defensive changes behind her. Brito moved to SS, Johns entered to pay 3B and Donihoo entered to play LF. The first hitter hit a very hard liner directly at Boone. She dropped stepped and played the ball like a veteran CF to make the catch look easy. McAdoo walked the next batter and allowed a single to LF on the ground to move runners to 1st and 2nd. McAdoo pitched well to the next hitter getting a K against a left-handed batter with a pitch down and in. The next hitter grounded a ball to SS for what should have been and easy out but there was some miscommunication between Brito and Bahl and the late toss to Bahl was up round her left shoulder and not fielded. The scorer ruled an error, I think, as it should have been scored but the book had an error on Alo which is an obvious error. The plays result was the bases were loaded with two outs and the Sooners leading 10-4. McAdoo ended the game by getting the batter to ground out back to herself for a 1-3 final out. McAdoo continues to look better this fall. She has pitched 3.2 innings coming back from her injury. She has allowed 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 walks and 1 K. The big thing to me is that she looks more in control of her pitches with her revised ‘wind-up’ if you will allow me to use a baseball term. She is also throwing probably as hard as she did earlier in her career as a freshman. She looks like she has recovered and is on her way to providing solid innings for the Sooners in 2022.

As for Nicole May and her not pitching the last game. I have heard no issues that seem to be a problem for her and her leg. I think at worst it is just caution being used by the Sooner staff to make sure she is 100% healthy before she enters the game to pitch. I would expect that with 2.5 months to recover that she will be ready the 2nd week of February to enter the circle for the Sooners. May has pitched well also this fall. She has pitched 11.1 innings and allowed 0 runs and only 3 hits. She has walked 1 hitter, hit one batter, and had 20 Ks. That is a solid fall.

As for Emmy Guthrie. I have no idea after a fall season where she did not pitch. I see her working and I see her with the team. But she has not entered a game yet. We will have to wait to see if she sees action in the 2022 season.
= = =

Due to time issues, I am going to finish my recap of the Sooner offense against North Texas this afternoon. I am going to the Women’s BB game this morning. Excuse me for doing so.

Boomer Sooner!

[OU_Tom]

thanks OUBelieverfor the great writeup

Here is the part That I paid close attention to

Here are my thoughts about Bahl’s outing. Despite the three hits (all ground balls) and the 3 walks (with very close pitches) I am not discouraged about her fall at all. She has pitched 17.1 innings and allowed 7 hits with all but one (a 3B) being singles and I think all were ground balls. She totaled 3 walks and 41 Ks in those 17/1 innings. Now I understand that in three games the competition was not all that great, but she threw strikes and came right at the hitters with strikes seldom I the same spot twice. She also did that tonight. She seemed to be just missing especially inside on right had hitters. I would not say she got squeezed by the home plate umpire, but the umpire certainly did not ‘give’ her any call either. Bahl will be good. I think very good. She keeps the ball down in the zone with the ball moving in and out and down. I think there will not be many balls hit in the air against her. She can and does get outs with her version of a rise ball. But that is not where she lives as a pitcher. She is throwing hard with many pitches at or above 70 mph. Do not let this effort or results dim your expectations for Bahl.

my hopes are sky high regarding Bahl.Finding elite pitchers is easier said than done though. It definitely looks like Bahl will become one; Patty does not really have luxury of bringing Bahl along slowly. I am definitely watching and cheering on Bahl, May and the other pitchers. It should be fun watching these young pitchers develop.

[OU_Tom]

Here was one of Alo's HRs

[OU_Tom]

Here was a Jennings HR

[OUBeliever56A]

Offensive Recap of Sooner Softball – OU 10 – North Texas 4

I will pick up on the offensive recap from this point in my earlier post.

The pregame activities were normal for the Sooners. A couple of things were noticed, however. There were 3 players missing. Alo, Snow and Waitman were not in uniform for the game. One would show up a little later for the game.

I have no information as to why Snow was not in uniform for the game. I perhaps saw her in the dugout in street clothes, but I am not sure about this. I hope that there is nothing that is an issue, and that Snow is ready for the spring season. It was only a quick sighting and I never saw the person again last night. She did not run out to the base path when introduced if she was even introduced which I do not think she was. About Alo, I learned from an article posted elsewhere that Alo was in class prior to her showing up at the game. I think we may now know the reason for the game to start at 7 PM. As for Waitman, it is a mystery. She has been seen with a sling on her right arm and she has been included in a picture from practice behind a pitcher playing what seems to be SS. Without her being able to ‘play fully’ this fall she is bound to fall behind her classmates and it may be tough for her to make-up that time missed.

As said earlier, the defensive lineup and batting order for the Sooners were as follows.
1) Boone RF, 2) Hansen C, 3) Johns 3B, 4) Lyons SS, 5) Jennings 2B, 6) J Coleman CF, 7) Elam 1B, 8) Donihoo LF, 9) Brito DP and 10) Bahl at P.

What does this lineup tell us?
1. Obviously, there is a bit of a ‘hole’ in the lineup without Alo.
2. Johns and Lyons must be having a very good fall offensively in practice to be in the lineup before Jennings and J Coleman.
3. Currently, Elam is perhaps the 2nd choice to play 1B if Snow does not start.
4. Brito is the leading player after Elam in the pecking order after the ‘starting-nine’ players.
5. Bahl continues to hit (and play in the field) as a player during the fall.

What surprises me about those points?
1. Currently, Green does not seem to be on the radar for playing in the field and perhaps is not in the top 11 hitters. I am at a loss as to why Green does not take infield or outfield practice before games but appears healthy and ready to play. Her position seems to be at the bucket taking in throws. Green was never a great 1B, but as a freshman and some as a sophomore she was not a fielding liability at 1B. She was able to play there. As a 4th year junior, it seems she no longer is considered as a possible player at 1B.

To the game:
Purdue transfer Ashley Peters (LHP - JR) wearing #15 pitched much took the circle for the Mean Green and she pitched well to open the game in the first inning getting the makeshift Sooner lineup to go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 1st. In the second inning Peters gave up a leadoff single by Lyons on a blooper over the left side of the infielders. Jennings followed with a well hit HR to LC for a 2-run HR to put the Sooners on the board. J Coleman got jammed on her hands and popped out to first for the first out of the inning. Elam followed with a soft liner that just got over the glove of the NT SS. On what looked like a hit-n-run call by Coach Gasso, Donihoo grounded out to 3rd base with Elam moving to 2nd on the play. Brito quickly plated the third run on a 3B to RC that struck the wall about 2 feet from the top in a near HR. Bahl added the 5th hit and the 4th RBI of the inning on a hard grounder to the left of the 3B that was easily under her glove. Boone made the final out of the inning as she grounded back to the pitcher for the second time.

Ms. Alo entered the lineup between the 1st and 2nd hitter after her class was over and led off the bottom of the 3rd. Her ground out back to the pitcher was not an indication of things to come for Alo. Hansen followed with a ground out to 3rd base for the second time in the game and the 2nd out of the inning. Johns got the first hit of the inning on a flare to RF that fell between the infielders and the outfielders. Coor pinch ran-for Johns and stole second base Lyons followed with a single that moved Coor to 3rd base. Jennings stroked a single back up the middle to plate the fifth run and her 3rd BBI of the game. The third out of the inning was a deep fly ball to LF by J Coleman that was fully on the warning track and looked to be a HR until it was not.

Against a new NT pitcher, this time a RHP FR pitcher, Savage, Elam opened the 4th with her second single. Donihoo hit a sharp ground ball to the second base man that set up a nice 4-6-3 double play by North Texas. The freshman pitcher had trouble on two consecutive ball that were put in play by Brito and Bahl. The result was 2 errors and runners on 1st and 2nd. A wild pitch/passed ball followed to move both runners out a base. T Coleman, who had entered the game in the top of the inning to play RF, left the two runners on base as she struck out on a pitch under her hands on the inside part of the plate for the 3rd out.

Alo’s father and some of her 'family' arrived in the stands just before Alo batted for the second time of the game to open the bottom of the 5th. This time, she absolutely lost a ball into the night over both fences just to the left of the batter’s eye in CF. She crushed the ball in her best fashion, and it was never in doubt of traveling 250 feet plus for a HR. Hansen followed with her first hit of the game as she simply outran the ball and the throw on a ball hit just to the right of the SS in the hole towards 3B. Hansen looks like she has gained some speed in the offseason. Johns followed with a fly out to CF for the first out. Lyons singled for her third time to move Hansen up a base. Jennings flew out also but this time to LF for out #2. J Coleman walked to load the bases with two outs. Elam battled during a long at bat with the pitcher with several foul balls before popping up to SS for the final out of the inning. In the 4th and 5th innings the Sooners left 5 runners on base. At this point the Sooners led 6 to 3 thru 5 innings.

Coor led off the bottom of the sixth with a seeing eye single between the 3B and the SS that made it into LF. Brito went down swinging for the first out. During the Brito at bat, Coor stole 2B on a pitch in the dirt. Green followed with K #2 of the inning. T Coleman made the third out of the inning on a grounder back to pitcher. The score was now 6-4.

In the bottom of the 7th North Texas inserted what may be their best pitcher, a LHP Sophomore named Jamie Worthington that is THE returning pitcher of the NT staff. She opened with a strikeout of Boone who re-entered the game. Alo followed with a low smash to LF that traveled the distance from bat to stands in record time. The pitch was up and in and Alo simply powered the ball over the fence perhaps leaving a dent in the LF stands. I am glad no brave souls tried to catch the ball. This was perhaps the hardest hit ball I have seen by Alo. After a popup to 2B by Hansen for the second out, Johns followed with her own HR to CF that once again easily cleared both fences. After another single by Lyons that perhaps could have been an error on the NT SS, Jennings hit her 2nd HR of the game to LC for her 5th RBI of the game to make the score 10-4. J Coleman popped out to 3B for the final out of the inning.

In the Sooners last at bat, Elam, Lilio and Nugent went down in order. Lilio in her first at bat of the fall, faked a drop bunt from the left side, showed a good eye at the plate and hit deep fly to LF that almost got over the head of the LF. Nugent in her last at bat of the fall probably hit the ball as hard as she has all fall as she flied out to CF on a ball she hit squarely for a hard line drive out.

The Sooners tallied 17 hits in 42 at bats. They walked only once and totaled 4 Ks. They hit one triple and 5 HRs and stole 4 bases. This game was the best pitching by far that the team faced in the fall. They hit well but did leave 9 runners on base. The game could have been put away with a single hit in the 4th, 5th or 6th inning as 8 runners were left on base in those innings.

For the fall, the Sooners were 114 for 232 at bats for a 0.491 BA. They had 33 walks/HBP for a 0.555 OB%. The Sooners struck out 20 times. They powered up for a 1.013 Slug % with 21 doubles, 2 triples and 32 HRs in the 5 extended games of 8 or 9 innings. The Sooners also stole 21 bases with 2 CS. They scored 117 runs in the 5 games for an average of 23.4 runs per extended game.

The offense is in good shape and will likely be hitting on all cylinders in February and Coach Gasso and the players know how to get ready for the long season. The Sooners now have the next recruits ready to join the team in August. All that is needed is the schedule for the Spring. That should be here in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Boomer Sooner!

[OU_Tom]

That is baffling about Green. You would figure that with her bat she would be a regular in the lineup

OUbeliever - thanks for all of your great write-ups. Without them, I wouldn't have a clue what happened this fall. Now I need to try to figure out something to do until the softball season starts up in Feb.