Sooners drop Game #2 of Bedlam 6-2 after leading 2-1 thru 5 inn

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooners took took the field on Saturday at Love's Field long enough at Noon for Nicole May to throw four pitches and have a 2-2 count before a lighting strike was detected within 8 miles of the stadium that halted play at 12:06. the game resumed at 3:30 after a long delay. As the pre-game warmup concluded the Sooners took infield with the entire team, outfield and infield, took ground ball is the traditional Sooner way. The Sooners were lose and having fun, which looked good to see.

The game re-started with a swinging strikeout of Poullard by Nicole May. Kinzie Hansen blocked the 3rd strike pitch well and tagged Poullard for the out. After a popup to SS, Wang, got her first hit of the weekend. May walked the next hitter but then got a ground ball to Tiare Jennings to end the innings.

The Sooners went down 1, 2, 3 in the bottom of the first against Ivy Rosenberry for OSU. The first batter to suffer the meandering strike zone was Jayda Coleman on a called 3rd strike to open the inning. A ground out by Ella Parker and a fairly deep fly ball to CF that died against the wind by Jennings ended the inning.

May opened the bottom of second inning with another swinging strikeout. Jennings made another play at SS for the second out. McDonald then hit a seeing eye ground ball between 1st and 2nd for a single before a popup to Alynah Torres as 2B for the 3rd out.

Alyssa Brito made the first out on a looper to 1B on a late swing. Torres then found a pitch away and hit a double down the RF line to put a Sooner runner in scoring position. Kasidi Pickering then walked to put two Sooners on base. Hansen got called on another "edge" pitch that was maybe a gift to OSU. Then Sanders struck out swinging to end the OU threat.

The third inning almost opened up with another swinging strikeout but the pitch was down and away just a little too much and got by Hansen on a wild pitch (as scored by the scorer) to allow the runners to reach first base. The next OSU hitter tried to sacrifice the runner to second, but Brito made a nice play and got the force at 2B. After a popup to SS by Wang, Godwin singled to short left field to move the runner up on base. Davis then singled to CF with Coach Kenny holding the runner at 3B before Coleman bobbled the ball a bit but was ready to throw home if needed. To me that was a strange play to hold the runner. I would have thought OSU would force the action. May got out of the bases loaded inning with a Timm ground ball out to 1B on the first pitch from May.

The Sooners had a 1, 2, 3, inning in the bottom of the third on a grounder to second, a pop to SS and grounder to first base.

May then posted her only 1, 2, 3, inning of her outing on three ground balls.

The bottom of the fourth for OU opened with a fly ball to RF for Jennings. Brito then hit a looper to CF that bounded away from the outfielder as Brito run into second base for a double. Torres then hit a deep fly ball to CF that was close to the warning track for the second out. Pickering then singled for a two-out RBI and was able to drive in Brito from second for the 1st run of the game. On the throw to home, Pickering moved up to second base. After the play, it looked like Coach Kenny wanted to have the play reviewed on the close play at the plate. But for some reason the head umpire entered the discussion and no review was executed. I wish I knew what the discussion was all about. After a walk to Hansen. With two runners on base, Sanders struck out swinging.

May opened the 5th with a called strike three against Poullard. After a ground out to 1B, OSU got on the scoreboard on a big HR to LF on a 2-2 pitch to tie the game at 1-1. May rebounded to get a popup to SS to end the inning. I thought May had pitched pretty well through five innings. Good hitters sometimes hit HRs.

With the score tied at 1-1, OSU brought in Lexi Kilfoyl to relieve Rosenberry. But Oklahoma scored right back in the bottom of the 5th. The inning opened with a bunt single by Boone. Coleman then laid down another bunt as the 3B threw to 2B for the force. Boone clearly looked safe on the live play but was called out. Coach Gasso asked for review. Despite a good piece of video that shows the ball a foot from the glove and Boone's foot on second the review upheld the out call. Sometimes things are just hard to understand how they happen. With one out, Parker walked. Jennings then hit a ground ball to 3B that was mishandled by Edwards as the runners moved up a base to load them up with one out. After a swinging strikeout by Brito, Torres picked up a walk against Kilfoyl to push a run across the plate to make the score 2-1. Kilfoyl then struck out Pickering on a pitch away that was tough to hit.

Going to the top of the 6th with the lead, things seemed to be going well for OU I thought. The first pitch to Timm, I think it was an off-speed pitch, looked like Timm knew what was coming and sat on the pitch and hit it deep into the RF stands for a solo HR. Okay, it is now 2-2. May worked the count to 2-1 to Micaela Wark. On the next pitch, hut a HR to LF to give the Cowgirls a 3-2 lead. The first two hitters for OSU in the top of the 6th really took control of the game. The two solo HRs certainly surprised me. Quickly the game was changed. After a pitching change to Kelly Maxwell the inning continued. Maxwell lost control on a down pitch hit the batter on a bounce. The next hitter bunted the ball down the first base line. Maxwell fielded the bunt as it stayed fair but her throw hit the runner in the back right before the runner hit the bag. The ball bounced a little towards 2B and the lead runner moved to 3B on the play. Coach Gasso asked for her second review on the runners being out of the runner's lane. After a long review, the play was upheld. There were now runners on first and third with no body out. On a 2-2 pitch, Poullard hit her 2nd HR of the series, this time a 3-run HR that barely cleared the LF wall. The lead for the Cowgirls is now 4 with the score 6-2.

With the Sooners taking many deep breaths, Maxwell got the next hitter on a great play by Hansen. The batter hit a little pop in foul territory that was right at the wall to Hansen's left. She pretty much hit the wall at full speed as she reached to catch the ball before it hit the net and as her knee, hit the wall with a thud. She was stunned a bit, but she was walked it off after fine defensive play. The next hitter grounded out to 1B before Maxwell walked the next hitter. A ground ball to 3B to end the sixth inning. It was a very long inning for the Sooners I must say. An inning that was tough to watch as a Sooner fan also.

In trying to respond to the big OSU inning, the Sooners went down in order on a ground ball to 3B a pinch-hit strikeout and a popup to SS.

Karlie Keeney was brought in to pitch the top of the 7th. She had pitched well on Friday in relief. The inning did not start well as Kenney fielded a ground ball well and then threw the ball wide to 1B as the ball could not be caught by Sanders for an error. But Keeney got a key strikeout against the next hitter, a popup to 3B and a ground out to SS.

Trying to come back from a 4-run deficit, the Sooners got a lead-off hit from Jayda Coleman down the left field line. But Kilfoyl then got a ground ball to 1B, a fly out to RF and a ground out to 2B to end the ballgame.

Ugh! is all I can say. The bats are not themselves right now. The pitchers have not been themselves this weekend and the results have not been as they normally are. The Sooners have now loss thier first home Big 12 series in a very, very long time. They Sooners will not win the Big 12 Regular Season for the first time in 12 years. All this is new. The record is still very strong at 45-6 but it doesn't feel like a 45-6 record for some reason right now. It is a different feeling right now.

BUT, the talent is still walking around in the Crimson and Cream uniforms. A great deal of talent and pride is in those uniforms. I would offer that they are now playing with 'free money'. They have nothing to try and uphold in the Big 12 regular season. In a sense, they are 'free' perhaps. They can play loose and maybe turn things around. If they can put a good game together on Sunday and pick up a win, maybe they can rally and win the Big 12 Tourney and avenge a couple of series to Texas and OSU on the way. They could pick up some momentum and walk into the playoffs a stronger, looser team. I certainly hope that they can do just that.

The season is not over. There is a lot of the season left. And the Sooners still have as much to play for as anyone. And they have just as good odds to do something as anyone else. Despite what has happened the last two days.

Boomer Sooner!

[The Far Journey]

I couldn't agree more with your conclusions about playing freer, having the talent, and chances as good as anyone's. No matter how it turns out, these last four seasons have been a great ride.

[EMan]

Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

[BudaSooner]

OUBeliever56: to your point about the two reviews that went against OU, both seemingly open-and-shut in OU's favor, what can you say? We all saw the replays: Boone's foot clearly beat the ball to the fielder's mitt! Had the call gone to OU, we would have had Hansen at the plate with the bases loaded and 2 out. As it is, the inning ended with Pickering's strikeout. I would very much have liked the odds of Kinzie making something positive happen!
IRT the play where the OSU baserunner was in the basepath: WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT, UMP?
She was CLEARLY obstructing the throw from Hansen!

OSU, in my opinion, clearly got some home cookin' from the officials - - on Love Field, no less!
Both calls, after review, no less, were inexplicable.

[jmac11]

I love the optimism here, but I'm just not feeling it. The fight/grit isn't there for whatever reason. Love these girls forever! It's been a joy to follow our seniors, and I look forward to the future. Losing definitely takes some getting used to. I hate it! Boomer Sooner!