Coach Gasso wins 1,500 game, Sooners Win Nail-Biter 2-1 over UCF

[OUBeliever56A]

It is no doubt that the story of the game was the 1,500th win as the coach of Oklahoma for Coach Gasso today as the Sooners won over the Central Florida Golden Knights 2-1 in game with two well pitched games like an old-fashioned game 15 years or so ago might have been. Coach Gasso has a career record at Oklahoma of 1500 Wins, 349 Losses and 2 Ties for a career winning percentage of 81.04%. At Long Beach City College she had a record of 161-59 before moving to Oklahoma. Congratulations to Coach Gasso in every way!!!

The sub-plot of the game today was the pitching dual between Sarah Wills of UCF and Kierston Deal of Oklahoma. For 14 innings today the two dueled with each other and the opposing hitters to spin their way to each pitching 2-hitters. But the Sooners made the most of their two hits with a solo HR and a double to plate two runs in the top of the 4th against Willis to take the lead midway through the game. Central Florida was held scoreless until the bottom of the 7th when they parlayed an error to allow a runner to reach base to led of the inning into a double (that might have been caught in LF) to plate one run when Deal got the final out of the game on a ground ball to end the game a secure the Sooner win.

Deal pitched extremely well. She had four 1, 2, 3 innings in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th. In the 6th, Deal got a nice play made "behind her" as Cydney Sanders made a nice catch on a popup in foul territory near the border fence for the first out. The second out was another popup that ended with Hodge and Sanders standing next to one another with Sanders reaching above Hodge to make the catch, may I say barely? She allowed a single to the leadoff hitter in the 2nd then went 1, 2, 3. In the 4th, she walked the leadoff hitter and then went 1, 2, 3 again. That was it until the 7th inning.

In the 7th inning leading 2-0, Deal kept the ball down to get a ground ball to second base from the first hitter. The Sooners committed their fourth error of the series as Avery Hodge forgot to keep her apron down and the ball traveled into shallow RF. Deal got another ground ball hit back to herself that she played well as she got the lead runner at second base for the first out. Deal got another ground ball hit the right side of second base that Hodge fielded and got the out at 2B on when the ball struck the batter between first and second for the second out of the inning. UCF pinch hit with Sona Halajian with one out left in the game. The first pitch to Halajian was a rise ball up and the pitch got by the pinch hitter for strike one. I thought to myself at the time, if you go up there again, make it a bit higher please. The next pitch was up again, and this time Halajian got the ball with the barrel of the bat as she hit a high fly ball that was just about at the fence in LF. Hannah Coor moved back to the fence and looked like she had gauged the ball and jumped to catch the ball. The jump was a count early though and the ball dropped down behind her either off the fence or off her right shoulder as she returned to the ground. As the ball bounded towards the infield, Jayda Coleman retrieved the ball as the UCF runner scored from 1B on the play and Halajian reaching second base. The run that scored was unearned due to the first batter reaching base on an error. The score was now 2-1 with Oklahoma still leading and the tying run on second base. UCF put in a pinch-runner at second base to add speed for the runner. Deal worked the count to the pinch-hitter Humphreys to a 2-2 count. The final pitch was hit to SS close to the second base bag as Tiare Jennings made the play and threw to 1B for the 21st out of the game to secure the Sooner win. Ball Game!

Deal pitched very well and probably deserved a 1 hit, 1 walk CG shutout for the win instead of a 2 hit (w a double) and 1 walk CG Win giving up 1 unearned run. I think if you give Hodge at second base and Coor in LF the chance to make the plays 10 more time, both of them will make the play 10 out of 10 times. But I will say, the Coor play was not an easy play even though I think she would make it 10 of 10 times. With the unearned run today, Deal's ERA is now under 1.00 at 0.90! She picked up her 11th win and her 5th complete game (CG).

On offense the Sooners were, let's say, mystified by the Sarah Willis change-up the entire game. Willis threw the change often, even one time on three consecutive pitches. She mixed the change with a quick fastball that was often low and in the strike zone. Willis opened the game by retiring 9 straight Sooners in the first three innings. In the fourth with one out, Tiare Jennings found a pitch right in her wheel-house on a 0-1 count and promptly knocked the cover off the ball into LF that I never saw come down on the TV screen. It might have been into the tree beyond the field. Jennings got every bit of the ball on her swing. I am very happy to report that the HR was her 90th of her career and it was her 299th career RBI. Those two numbers are important. Jennings is now tied Stacey Nuveman of UCLA and now the Head Coach at San Diego State in both category of career stats. the two of them are 6th in career RBIs and 7th in career HRs. I will add that the only three players on both lists are Jocelyn Alo, Stacey Nuveman and Tiare Jennings. It is a tremendous accomplishment for Jennings and she has perhaps 15 games to add to the totals of her great career as a Sooner.

Back to the game. with the score 1-0 with one out in the inning. Kasidi Pickering grounded out to Willis in the circle for the second out of the inning. Kinzie Hansen followed with a walk on 5 pitches. While I was wondering why a pinch runner was not used for Hansen, on a 1-2 pitch to Ella Parker, Willis left the ball over the plate and Parker cracked a double into RC for a double and an RBI as Hansen scored easily from 1st base with the all important 2-0 lead as the game turned out. The final out was a fly ball to CF to end the 4th inning.

In the 5th inning, Oklahoma had one runner reach base as Rylie Boone hit the ball between 1st and 2nd, as the ball got under the second base player. As Boone rounded first base to head for second, Boone ran into the 2B player (maybe on purpose) and got an obstruction call to be able to go to second base on the play. The play was ruled an error on the original ground ball. Nothing came of Boone being in scoring position. The Sooners went 1, 2, 3 in the 6th inning.

In the 6th inning, with one out, Pickering walked. Hannah Coor entered the game to pinch run. Hansen then hit into a fielder's choice. While I was pondering whether the Sooners would run for Hansen again, a pitch into the Parker at bat, Hansen stole second base easily to get into scoring position. (I guess Coach Gasso knows what she is doing much better than what us fans (me) might think.) Parker walked before the 3rd out was made in the inning.

In the top of the 7th, Sanders led off with a walk and was run for by Quince Lilio. Alynah Torres pinch hit for Hodge and struck out. Lilio did not advance past 1B as the next two Sooners made outs.

OU only had two hits but had 4 walks and reached base by error once. They had 7 base runners in the game and scored 2 of them as they left 5 runner on base.

In my opinion the game was a true pitchers duel with neither pitcher deserving to lose the game, but Oklahoma won a game like they do sometimes when maybe they should not. I think that is a good sign in many ways. But today, Deal was the key as she pitched very well in my mind.

For Sunday's early game at 10 AM CST, I think May will go to the circle for OU to start the game. For UCF, I don't think it will be Felton, who started Friday. UCF could choose Katelyn Cochran, who OU has not seen this weekend or ever. She has a 0.59 ERA in 23.2 innings. There is an outside chance they might choose Willis again also but she did throw 119 pitches.

The Sooners now have the chance to sweep UCF with a win on Sunday. That would be an important accomplishment for the Sooners this weekend.

Congrats to Coach Gasso and Tiare Jennings for their career marks earned today.

Boomer Sooner!

[OUBeliever56A]

Here is the Sooner staff writers article about the 2-1 win for Oklahoma and Coach Gasso 1500th win at OU.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/4/27 ... in-orlando

Boomer Sooner!

[OUBeliever56A]

Here is the lineup I hope to see for Sunday's game against UCF.

CF Coleman
SS Jennings
1B Parker
C Hansen
3B Brito
RF Pickering
2B Torres
DP Ludlam
LF Boone
SP May

[AustinTXSooner]

The posted lineup:

1	dp	5	Parker, Ella
2	ss	23	Jennings, Tiare
3	lf	7	Pickering, Kasidi
4	c	9	Hansen, Kinzie
5	cf	24	Coleman, Jayda
6	3b	33	Brito, Alyssa
7	1b	1	Sanders, Cydney
8	rf	0	Boone, Rylie
9	2b	40	Torres, Alynah
10	p	19	May, Nicole

[OUBeliever56A]

Well I was way off:

DP Parker
Jennings
Pickering
Hansen
Coleman
Brito
Sanders
Boone
Torres
SP May