Sooner Softball: 15-2 Win over Tech - Some thoughts about today.

[OUBeliever56A]

By now you have probably heard that the Sooners won today 15-2 and that the Sooners scored 12 runs in the 1st inning to open the game. In the inning the Sooners sent 15 batters to the plate and the first 12 of them reached base without an out being recorded as all 12 scored. The biggest hit in that stretch was Kasidi Pickering's 3-run HR as the 12th batter. Before that Tiare Jennings hit a 2-RBI double and Ella Parker had a 2-RBI single. When the inning was over, the Sooners were 8 of 10 at the plate and picked up 5 walks. Four of the five batters who walked scored in the inning. the inning ended in a ground ball double play.

After three scoreless innings, the Sooners scored three runs in the top of the 5th on an RBI double, and two sacrifice flies by Jennings and Hannah Coor.

In the game, Oklahoma was 13 for 24 with 2 doubles and 1 HR with 8 walks in total with 0 strikeouts. The Sooners played every position player except for Quincee Lilio and Kinzie Hansen. All 12 of the other players either reached base of drove in a run in the game. It was another good day of offense for the Sooners.

In the circle, Kierston Deal had a simple job as she went out to pitch the bottom of the 1st with a 12 run lead. Throw strikes, challenge the hitters and let her defense play behind her. She pretty much did that as she pitched 3.1 innings allowing 3 hits, 0 walks and 1 strike outs. She did hit on batter on a pitch just inside the plate (Love playing 3B for Tech). Deal did give up two HRs on pitches that were not in the strike zone but just above the zone. Villa (batting 2nd) hit a high fly ball to RC that carried just over the fence. Pickering made a very good effort to jump up over the fence and reach over to the ball but as the ball hit her glove, the ball acted like it hit something and bounced back onto the field of play towards Jayda Coleman towards CF. Coleman picked up the ball and threw to the infield as the umpires signaled HR. I was a bit surprised it was not reviewed if possible. The second HR was another pitch in the same area that Wyckoff turned on and hit a screamer over the RF fence. It is interesting to note that the two HRs were both by LH hitters. After there was one out in the 4th, Karlie Keeney entered the circle for OU and finished the game with the same mission, throw strikes and get outs. She did as she pitched 1.2 innings with 1 strike out and let her defense get the other 4 outs.

The Sooners will play tomorrow at noon if the weather does not get too wet. With Kelly Maxwell starting on Friday and Deal starting on Saturday, Nicole May will likley start on Sunday. Like today, Kinzie Hansen will not play tomorrow. She looked like her right knee was a bit stiff today. Other than that the lineup will be about the same with either Torres or Hodge at 2B.

The Sooners are now 5-0 in conference play and are hitting a robust .396 BA, .492 OB% and .722 Slug%. The ten top hitters in AB are all hitting better than a .367 BA with 6 hitters above .420 BA. 7 of the Sooners have an OB% of over .511. The Sooners have hit 54 doubles, 3 triples and 53 HRs. They committed their 9th error today for the season for a .986 Fielding percentage.

In the circle the Sooner have a 1.27 ERA with 15 shutouts. The pitching is doing just fine in addition to the hitting.

One more game tomorrow and the weekend is done. Good luck to the Sooners.

Boomer Sooner!

[AustinTXSooner]

We were celebrating my son's birthday yesterday, so I listened to the game live with Plank's broadcast. Then last night watched ESPN+. I had forgotten how horrible the Texas Tech announcer was. Something I will give him credit for is that he was pretty good about giving the count. Since the TV graphics weren't doing that for us, that became important. He spends too much time trying to be clever and thinks that if he states something confidently, that makes it true.

I could go on, but I'll just stop there. And I'll have Plank's broadcast synced with the ESPN broadcast.

[MontOUfan]

He seemed to get whinier as the weekend went along. What's more likely, 3 different umpires being the cause of almost 30 walks in three games, or Texas Tech pitchers who want to get people out without throwing the ball over the plate?