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OU softball finding out about itself with each game

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•about 9 hours•

BPrzybylo

Not every game is going to be a dominant performance for OU softball, and that’s OK. As head coach Patty Gasso has said for years, you learn more in a 2-0 win in 11 innings on Sunday compared to a five-inning laugher.

The Sooners are learning about themselves little by little. Each game, something different but all is well that ends well with a 6-0 start to the season.

After talking to the media about being named the Team USA and Olympic head coach during the afternoon, Gasso was not available at night.

Instead, it was sophomore Ella Parker and transfer pitcher Isabella Smith.

Ella Parker

Sum up the first weekend?

I thought it — the first game was where we were just finding our place. And I think as the games went on, we just kind of started getting comfortable and starting trusting ourselves as a team. Started working together and really trusted our mechanics and our stuff and all the training that went into this. So it was just kind of like finding comfort and actually playing another team, which was a little bit different, but we were so glad to finally play against someone else. But yeah, just being able to work our way through and find comfort in the later parts of the game.

Bella Smith

First experience as a Sooner? 

It was really, really fun. Definitely throwing against a different opponent, I was ready to see different faces in the box. We’ve worked a lot mentality-wise with getting into a rhythm as a pitcher and staying in that rhythm. And your rhythm on the mound is something that you can control personally so we’ve worked on that a lot. So honestly it really wasn’t difficult. It was just fun having the girls behind me and letting the offense do their thing but also being able to show off on the mound for them as well. 

Trusting the defense?

It’s relieving. I know that I can just spin my pitches through the zone. And it’s funny. I was just talking to our mentality coach before this and in my routine, I tell myself before every pitch, ‘Trust your defense. Let your defense work.’ It’s just freeing to know that I can put a pitch pretty much anywhere and if it’s hit, they’re going to make the play behind me. 

Comfortable coming out of bullpen?

I would say coming from Campbell, I held a lot of the innings on my own. There were situations where I did have to come in in relief but it’s going to be something that I am probably going to experience more here, which is completely fine. For me, I just want the ball whenever they need me to have the ball. I’m going to be ready whenever they need me. I wouldn’t say that it’s something I’m going to have to get comfortable with. I would say I’m comfortable with it. Just maybe something that I’m going to have to get used to.

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