Big 12 Softball Quarters: Oklahoma downs Kansas 10-1 innings !

[OUBeliever56A]

In their Quarter-Finals game at Devon-Hall of Fame Park in OKC, the Oklahoma Sooners won over the Kansas Jayhawk 10-1 in a 5 inning run-rule win. The Oklahoma Sooner offense showed up in the game as OU collected 10 hits in 4 innings along with 4 walks against only 1 strikeout. Oklahoma pounded out 4 doubles and 1 HR in the game. But, the game started a bit shaky as Kansas scored a run in the top of the 1st on three straight hits against the Sooner starting pitcher Kelly Maxwell. But Maxwell finished the inning strong and pitched the next two innings well before giving way to Paytn Monticelli to pitch the final two innings as the Sooners did not allow a hit after the first three batters.

The game did start oddly though to me. The Sooners lineup up in a shift with Jayda Coleman lined up at 2B from her CF position and Torres on the SS side of second base for a third infielder on the left side against the slapper, Limbaugh of Kansas. Limbaugh hit a high hopper that Tiare Jennings had to charge and throw to 1B. On the reception of the throw at first base, Sanders stretched to make the catch as the runner ran across the base. the first base umpire simply made no signal on the play. No safe, no out no nothing. The umpire just kept looking at the bag, at Cydney Sanders and at Limbaugh. Then Sanders threw the ball to Hansen as if the runner was out, I was more confused. Watching the play live, I think the runner never touched the bag and that Sanders was off the bag on her stretch. After the ball was returned to the circle, Limbaugh came back and touched the bag and the game continued. The play was just odd. --- Watching the replay, my initial view of the play live was a bit off. Sanders did not catch the ball cleanly at 1B as the ball worked its' way out of her glove. The runner did barely touch the bag though and I am not sure about Sanders staying on the bag on her stretch. Why Sanders threw the ball to Hansen, i have no idea. Sanders had to know the runners was safe, right?

After the opening 'single', Linduff singled on a flare to CF to advance Limbaugh to second base. Lyric Moore followed with a 'single' on a ground ball that was to the left of Sanders at first base. Sanders never reacted to the ball and simply watched it go to her right into the outfield. I thought Sanders had a chance to make a play and keep the ball in the infield at least. Maybe even be able to make a throw to second but there was no attempt to make a play by Sanders. I wonder if she thought it was a ball that Torres would play but Torres was playing up the middle with a runner on second base. As the ball bounced past Sanders, the runner were on the move as Kasidi Pickering charged the ball. Her throw was good but late to home plate as the ball was not hit well. I am surprised the play was to throw to home, it seemed that someone should have helped Pickering to make the throw to a cut-off or to 3B or even 2B. As the throw went to home both runners moved up to put two more runners in scoring position.

With Kansas ahead 1-0, and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Maxwell got a little pop fly to LF on a good, moving pitch inside and down to Cripe the cleanup hitter. Boone played the ball well and made a strong throw to home plate to prevent the runners from moving up for the first out of the game. Maxwell then got the Bruno on a swinging strikeout for the second out. Bagshaw for Kansas then grounded out to 2B for the 3rd out of the inning. Maxwell really pitched well after the first three batters.

Trailing 1-0, the Sooners got to work in the bottom of the inning Coleman and Ella Parker both worked the count to full counts and walked against Lizzy Ludwig, the pitcher for Kansas. Jennings, on another 3-2 count, then hit a hard ground ball back at Ludwig that bounded off her leg and back towards the first base line. It was ruled a single with the runners moving up a base. Alyssa Brito then hit a 2-1 pitch in the air down the RF line that was curving towards foul territory. The ball nipped the foul line and bounced into the RF corner for a double to drive in 2 Sooner runs. The play was reviewed and upheld as a fair ball. With two runners in scoring position, Alynah Torres hit a SFLY to RF as the RF'er threw the ball to 3B with Jennings scoring from 3B. I do not think Jennings was going to go home on the throw until the Kansas fielder thew the ball to 3B. Brito stayed at 2B. After Pickering grounded out to 1B moving Brito to 3B, Hansen hit a line drive double to LC to plate Brito for the fourth run of the game for OU. Boone then hit a high hopper to SS with Hansen moving towards the play, as Cripe made the play, Hansen moved by the SS on the throw to 1B and moved to 3B as Boone was safe at 1B on the play. With two outs, Boone was sent to second base on a steal. On the throw to second, Hansen took off for home from third base. With the Jayhawks chasing down Boone managed to keep from getting tagged out until after Hansen scored for the 5th run of the inning before the tag was made. Live, I thought that Hansen might not have made it to home before the tag.

Leading 5-1, Maxwell went back to work in the circle. After Maxwell walked the leadoff batter in the inning, the second hitter hit a fly ball to RF. Pickering quickly closed the gap into RC and caught the ball and without a wasted step she quickly threw to 1B and doubled off the runner trying to get back to first base. It was a nice play by Pickering and a good stretch by Sanders. A ground out to Brito at #B was the 3rd out of the inning.

Coleman got the scoring in the second inning started with a 1-out HR to LF as she hit the ball well to the opposite field. Two singles by Parker and Jennings put runners on 1st and 3rd. Brito then bunted short in front of the plate that the Kansas catcher, Moore retrieved. Parker, like a charging linebacker, slide into home plate hard and knocked the ball out of Moore's glove on the slide as Jennings moved to 3rd base and Brito advancing to 2B. It was a good hard slide by Parker. On a ground ball back to the pitcher by Torres, Jennings got caught off of 3B and was tagged out in a rundown as Brito moved to 3B and Torres moved to 2B. On a pitch that was in the dirt and bounded away from Moore, Brito speed home and was safe as she got under the tag with her hand to safely score. Torres moved to 3B on the play. Pickering then walked to put runners on first and third. Coach Gasso then used two pinch runners as Avery Hodge ran for Torres at 3B and Hannah Coor ran for Pickering at 1B. Coor immediately stole second before Hansen grounded out to 2B to end the inning. The Sooners led 8-1 after two innings. Hodge and Coor stayed in the game to play 2B and RF respectively.

Maxwell walked the leadoff hitter again the the 3rd inning. On a ball hit back to Maxwell, after a bobble of the ball, she threw to second base late to allow two runners on base with no one out. The play was originally called safe but then was overturned on the replay. The throw should have been to 1B on the play. Maxwell helped herself with a strikeout of Moore for the first out. A sacrifice bunt moved the Kansas runners to 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Maxwell then got a fly ball to RC that Coleman tracked down for the 3rd out of the inning.

Boone opened with a hard hit line drive double to LF that was quickly by the LF and off the wall. Quincee Lilio was called on to pinch-hit for Sanders and struck out for the first out. During Coleman's at bat, Boone moved to 3B on a wild pitch before Coleman walked. On a 2-0 count, Parker doubled to left field to plate both Boone and Coleman to make the score 10-1. Jennings reached 1B on a hit by pitcher that for some reason had to be reviewed to get the play right by the umpires. Brito flied out to foul territory in RF for the second out with Parker moving to 3B on the play. Jennings moved to second on a wild pitch before Hodge flew out to fairly deep CF for the 4rd out of the inning.

To start the top of the 4th, Parker moved to 1B, Lilio stayed in the game at DP and Riley Ludlam moved to catcher. Paytn Monticelli also replaced Maxwell in the circle. She had not pitched in a game since April 20th against Houston. Monticelli got a fly out to CF and a swinging strikeout before she hit a batter. The fourth batter against Monticelli hit a popup to SS for the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 4th, Coor flew out to RF and Ludlam grounded out to second base for two quick outs. Maya Bland then checked in as a pinch hitter and hit a solid single to RF for a hit before Lilio grounded out to SS to end the inning.

With Oklahoma in the shift again against Limbaugh, Hodge committed an error as the ball did not stay in her glove. Monticelli then got three popups, one to SS, one to 1B and one to catcher than Ludlam at the last second reached out to catch 'basket style' to end the game.

Maxwell threw very well after the first three batters and actually did not pitch that badly to those three hitters. She ended with only allowing those three hits and 2 walks against 2 Ks and got the win. Monticelli also pitched well against Kansas.

Parker, Jennings and Boone each had 2 hits in the game, Parker and Brito had 2 RBIs, Coleman had 3 RS and that solo-HR.

The Sooners will play BYU today after they upset the Cowgirls 7-2 yesterday.

As to who pitches for the Sooners. Consider this. Maxwell started pitched in the first and third games of the BYU series and allowed 3 runs in 12.0 innings. In the 2nd game the Sooners sent May (3.0 IP - 3 runs), Deal (1.0 IP - 2 runs), Keeney (2.2 IP - 4 runs) and Geurin (0.1 IP - 0 runs) to the circle. I am not sure what choices the Sooners have. I think they need to not use Maxwell today to be ready for what will likley be Texas on Saturday. In a guess, I will say that Deal will start the game today. I think May will be used in relief if and when it is needed and Keeney may get in the game as well if needed. The reason to start Deal is that I think May is probably better in relief between the two of them.

But the offense can take all pressure off the pitchers with some solid offense today. BYU will throw lots of changes, so the Sooners better be ready for them. And ready to swing the bats.

Good luck to the Sooners today as they play in the Semi-Finals.

Boomer Sooner!

[OUBeliever56A]

Here is the Sooner staff writers article about the Sooner win over Kansas.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/5/9/ ... arterfinal

Boomer Sooner!

[TropicalSooner]

I also think Deal gets the call today. And for whatever reason, it does seem that May is better than Deal coming out of the pen. But she's done that for years now, with a good deal of success. I could also see SJ getting a few pitches in if necessary as she would be one pitcher they might not have prepared for too much. SJ's fastball is like some pitchers off speed, so her change up should really throw them off.