The Sooners pitching went like this:
- May started Game #1 against Central Arkansas and pitched 4.0 innings allowing 1 hit, 2 walks with 6 Ks. She threw 56 pitches (I know the stats said 75) with 37 Ks (66.1%) and picked up the win.
- Monticelli pitched the 5th inning for OU against the Bears. Her start was one of those things that coaches just shake their heads on as she walked the first hitter on a 3-1 pitch. She recovered nicely though as she struck out the next three hitters to finish the inning. She tossed 20 pitches with 12 strikes for 60%.
- Maxwell started the game for OU against McNeese State. Other than one pith to the 3rd hitter of the game, Poncho, Maxwell was superb. Poncho found a 3-2 pitch right down where she wanted it and picked up a trophy ball as she hit a deep HR to LC off of Maxwell. Poncho did hit the ball well. It is her 5th HR of the young season. Before that, Maxwell got the first two outs with 1 K in 8 pitches and then struck out the 4th hitter. In the following 4 innings, Maxwell allowed 1 little bleeder over 2nd base for a single and nothing else while picking up 6 more strikeouts. Maxwell threw 73 pitches with 50 strikes for 68.5%. Maxwell got the win.
- Keeney relieved Maxwell and pitched the final two innings of the game and day allowing only one hit and ending the game with a double play that went 1-6-4-3. Keeney tossed 25 pitches with 7 strikes for 68%.
The Sooner Team ERA is now down to 0.72.
On offense, the Sooners are very good when they score. As I said above, the Sooners scored all 17 of their runs in 4 innings. They scored 9 runs in the 4th against Central Arkansas. then they scored 2 in the 2nd, 3 in the 3rd and 3 in the 6th against McNeese State. In those four innings the Sooners were 16/27 for a .593 BA and included the 2 double, the 2 triples and the 1 HR that the Sooners hit on Friday. In the other 7 innings they batted, the Sooners were 5 for 26 with 5 singles for a .192 BA. While 17 runs is hard to criticize, it would be nice to see more threats/runs across the 11 innings.
For the DH, the Sooners were 22 for 53 with 3 walks, 7 Ks and left 9 runners on base. That is a .415 BA, a .446 OB% and a .679 Slug%.
Five Sooners had 3 hits on the day.
Coleman was 3 for 6 (nice to see) with 2 RS, a SFLY, 1 RBI, a double and a SB.
Jennings was 3 for 7 with 2 RS, 1 RBI, a double and 1 K.
Hansen was 3 for 4 with a 1 RS, 1 RBI, a walk and a SFLY.
Ella Parker was 3 for 6 with 2 RS, 2 RBIs and 1 K.
Boone was 3 for 5 with 2 RS, 4 RBIs and a triple.
Brito was 3 for 4 with 2 RS, 2 RBIs and 1 HR. Brito only played in the 2nd game on Friday.
Torres was the only other Sooner with multiple hits as she was 2 for 4 with a 1 RS, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB and a SAC. Hodge was 1 for 3 with a triple a RS and a RBI.
The back-to-back triples by Boone and Hodge was the first time since 2019 that the Sooners have produced that back-to-back feet. Plank mentioned it on the broadcast, I think it was in March of that season.
The Sooners also made a nice defensive plays in the field. In the first game, Coleman ran down a hard hit ball to LC and made a running, falling catch to help May for the second out of the first inning with a runner on first base. Against the leadoff hitter in the 3rd inning in the first game, Hodge made a nice play on a ground ball to her left, between herself and Sanders for an ground out, 4-3. Hodge went a long way to make the play. To end the game, the Sooners turned a nice 1-6-4-3 double play as the ground ball ticked off of Keeney's glove, to Jennings, to Torres to Sanders.
The Sooners are now 6-0 on the season and that "thing" is up to 59 wins in a row. They have 3 shoutouts and 2 run-rule games on the season.
The Sooners play Lamar at 1:30 PM today followed by a 6:30 game against McNeese State. It sounds like the wind will be blowing today in Lake Charles and the temp will be cool, maybe very cool.
Boomer Sooner!