Kelly Maxwell, Tiare Jennings put OU softball in driver's seat, one win away from Super Regional
OU softball was rolling with Kelly Maxwell in the circle. But eventually, a big hit was going to be had by either OU or Oregon.
It happened in the bottom of the fifth, and it happened for the Sooners after being challenged by the staff. Co-captain Tiare Jennings hit one of the longest home runs in Love’s Field history, a two-run shot. That gave some separation, and Maxwell did the rest in a 6-3 victory against Oregon on Saturday in the Norman Regional.
The win puts OU in the driver’s seat to earning a berth into the Super Regional. OU will have two chances to win one game Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m.
“I just thought Kelly was superb. I thought she got better as the game went on,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “But to hold those guys down to a couple of hits, eight strikeouts. That’s big time for us. Again, she started good but finished great.”
The Sooners haven’t needed any extra help through the first two days with the way the pitching has been. Nicole May was solid Friday, and Maxwell had it locked down Saturday.
After allowing a one-out solo home run in the top of the first, Maxwell was in domination mode. She retired the last 16 batters she faced, including striking out the side in the top of the fifth.
The win puts Maxwell at 19-2 this season. She didn’t allow another hit but did hit a batter. Maxwell finished with eight strikeouts.
Karlie Keeney had a rough top of the seventh, allowing three hits and two runs without recording an out. Gasso went back to Maxwell to close out the seventh. And she delivered again, with a strikeout and beginning a 1-6-3 double play to seal the deal.
“Then to come off the bench to come back in is not easy to do, but she handled that really well,” Gasso said. “Well-played, very well-played.”
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OU scored two runs in the first, thanks to RBIs from Kasidi Pickering and Alyssa Brito. It remained that 2-1 difference until Jennings helped the OU faithful breathe a bit.
Freshman Ella Parker gave the added insurance, crushing a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.
A fifth inning gut-check turned out to be what was needed. The coaches asked the team to adjust and respond. Jennings, obviously, did just that for her 21st home run of the season.
“I think just them telling us to make adjustments,” Jennings said. I think right away we did that. Going through the same thing inning after inning but finally making some adjustments, and it worked out. Definitely them calling us out, and we answered it really well. It happened to work out.”
It was a strange feeling for OU head coach Patty Gasso, coaching against Melyssa Lombardi. But it’s one Gasso can check off and just get back to work. Lombardi played for Gasso at OU and coached at OU under Gasso for numerous years.
Up next
Long night of OU waiting. The Sooners (51-6) will play the other team left, after it’s all decided between Cleveland State, Oregon and Boston University. CSU and BU play in an elimination game Saturday afternoon. Then the winner comes right back to play Oregon in the evening. That winner will then play OU 2 p.m. Sunday. The Sooners can close out the regional with a win Sunday, or the if game would come 30 minutes after the conclusion of Sunday’s first game in a winner-take-all contest.
