The Big 12 Tournament title is coming home with OU softball one last time
OKLAHOMA CITY – Always remember there is context when you’re using the word struggle and OU softball. Struggling meant going into the Big 12 Tournament Championship game at 48-6 overall.
There are very few places anywhere to accurately describe that as struggling. OU never gave up belief in itself, but just maybe there was a moment where things were reeling.
Last Saturday after losing back-to-back Bedlam games at Love’s Field against Oklahoma State meant OU wouldn’t be the No. 1 seed for the Big 12. It also meant OU was No. 4 nationally in some of the rankings this week.
Fast forward to Saturday evening in Oklahoma City? The party was on. The celebration, the dancing, back once again. A very familiar scene for OU in OKC as the Sooners took out No. 1 Texas 5-1 in the championship at OGE Field at Devon Park.
“I know people have been kind of doubting us or, ‘What’s wrong with them. ‘I’m like, well we’ve only lost six games. I guess that’s too many for some people,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “But there are women that are sitting up on this podium up here right now, and our team came together and worked out some things behind closed doors that a lot of teams don’t do. And that’s why we’re here.”
You could hear the confidence Tuesday in talking with Gasso and the players. A little bit of a ‘snap out of it’ moment in winning Bedlam on Sunday.
Entering the Big 12 with a little bit of a chip. And a whole lot of experience. You aren’t the three-time defending national champions for nothing. Time to go show everybody why again.
A hot start at the plate combined with Kelly Maxwell in the circle? This team wanted this game, was ready for this game.
“The team was fired up today,” Gasso said. “They had a good plan together with coaches. They knew what we needed to do. Were fired up. They wanted this, wanted to bring the trophy back home. At least our last Big 12. It meant a lot to them. If we can set that tone, we can stay in that.”
OU scored two in the top of the first, sending the message this was going to be a little bit different than when it dropped two of three in Austin last month.
Co-captains Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen drove in three of the runs. UT mounted one big-time rally, and OU had the answer it needed in the bottom of the sixth.
Maxwell was brilliant in 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. She departed with a 5-1 lead.
Leaving with runners on first and second with one out, it was time for senior Nicole May to close the UT threat in the bottom of the sixth.
That’s exactly what May did, with a fly out and a strikeout. You could hear the OU crowd basically start to celebrate the championship after that one.
“Nicole has been the steady from the very beginning,” Gasso said. “She’s been loyal and strong to this program. I always wish everything great for her because of that and her work ethic. The two of them together were absolute boss ladies tonight. It was cool to watch.”
May was lights out in the seventh, adding two more strikeouts. From perhaps wondering where things were going wrong last Saturday to dancing and celebrating. That’s a one-week turnaround the Sooners can appreciate.
“You know, you learn, and it’s cool to see that this is not even our peak,” co-captain Tiare Jennings said. “We’re just heading in the right direction, so it’s cool to see that we have just so much more to work on still, and how much we can get better.
“But definitely a turnaround, just busting our butts throughout the week, grinding, releasing all that pressure, and just playing free, like we just keep saying, but it’s definitely really, really fun compared to this week, compared to last week, just heading in the right direction.”
Parker earns MOP honor
Freshman Ella Parker has had the same message all season. She is playing free. Maybe it’s better she doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.
“I was just coming in just playing the game I know and I didn’t have any expectations for any of that,” Parker said. “But just playing my way of softball, playing free is what really drove me this weekend and what I was focusing on.”
Parker was joined on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team by Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen, Kelly Maxwell and Kierston Deal.
Parker was 7-for-10 at the plate, driving in five runs and scoring six times. Against Texas, Parker had two hits and scored twice.
Selection Sunday
OU just made its case. At 49-6 overall and the Big 12 champion, was that enough in a weekend to go back to the No. 1 overall seed? The Sooners and everybody else will find out their fate 6 p.m. with the Selection Sunday show.
“I don’t know,” said Gasso about being the No. 1 seed. “We played really well and so hopefully people saw it and if it gets us No. 1, great. It really doesn’t matter right now. I mean, if we’re in the top three or four, I think we’re happy with that.”
