Patty Gasso on Karlie Keeney's performance: 'It was the highlight of the game'

After some rough pitching stretches in the opening two games of this weekend’s Bedlam series, Oklahoma turned to Karlie Keeney. The Sooners graduate senior got the starting nod in the final game of not only the series vs. Oklahoma State, but also the regular season on Sunday.

She put together arguably her best performance all year in leading OU to an 8-2 victory to avoid being swept. Keeney pitched a season-high 6.2 scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just four hits to improve her record to 5-1.

The only time the Cowgirls scored Sunday was when Kierston Deal came in to relieve Keeney in the sixth inning. However, after quickly giving up two runs, Oklahoma again called on Keeney to re-enter the game. She closed the game out to secure the win.

Sooners coach Patty Gasso was elated to see that type of game from Keeney, particularly after the struggles OU had dropped games on Friday and Saturday.

“It was probably the highlight of the game to us because she’s been waiting in the wings,” Gasso said. “She’ll come in and fill a hole here or there, but when we pulled her out we thought, ‘it’s time.’ We haven’t let her go a full game. When (Deal) got in trouble, the answer was to bring her back in and see what that looks like.

“She handled it like a pro. It just makes us really confident going forward that she’s ready to go in in the tough moments.”

Keeney has started in just four games for Oklahoma this season after transferring from Liberty. She leads the team with a 1.40 ERA across 55 innings pitched, the fourth-most on the team.

With postseason play on the horizon, it was the kind of performance the Sooners will hope to see more of from Keeney moving forward. OU has other weapons at pitcher with Deal, Kelly Maxwell and Nicole May. However, is Keeney can play the way she did Sunday, it only gives them more ammo as they aim for their fourth straight national title.

The Sooners are set to enter the Big 12 Softball Tournament this week as the No. 2 seed. It marks the first time in the past 11 seasons that they have not claimed the conference regular season title, and they’ll aim to avenge that in Oklahoma City.

OU opens tournament action at 1:30 p.m. CT on Thursday against either Houston or Kansas.