OU, OSU softball teams go for sweeps today

ORLANDO, Fla. – University of Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso became the third NCAA coach to reach 1,500 career wins as the No. 2-ranked Sooners earned a series win with a 2-1 win over UCF on Saturday afternoon in Orlando.

Oklahoma (44-4, 20-3 Big 12) received a complete-game gem from left-hander Kierston Deal as the southpaw held UCF (28-20, 10-13 Big 12) to just two hits on the afternoon. OU’s “magic number” moves to four for an outright Big 12 championship and three for a share of the title.

Sooner shortstop Tiare Jennings (1-for-3, R, HR, RBI) blasted her 90th career home run to provide the game’s first tally in the fourth, becoming just the eighth player in NCAA history to reach the milestone. Kinzie Hansen (0-for-2, BB, R) followed by drawing a walk, then Ella Parker (1-for-2, BB, 2B, RBI) laced a double into the right-center gap to make it 2-0 Sooners.

Deal starred in the circle, allowing a lone unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out four. She needed just 92 pitches to complete 7.0 innings, improving to 11-1 on the season. The southpaw has now won 11 of her last 12 starts, allowing just three earned over 57.0 innings for a 0.37 ERA in that span.

OU and UCF close their series on Sunday with a 10 a.m. CT start.

Two crooked-number innings and a gutsy start from left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell led the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma softball team to a 10-2 series-opening win over UCF on Friday evening in Orlando.

Maxwell improved to 15-1 on the season with 6.1 innings of one-run ball, scattering seven hits and two walks. She struck out five and threw 76 of her 121 pitches for strikes, working at a 62.8% strike rate on the evening.

Oklahoma opened the first with a five-spot as each of the first eight Sooners to bat reached base. Jayda Coleman (2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) legged out an infield single, Ella Parker (1-for-4, BB, RBI) reached on an error and Tiare Jennings (0-for-4, BB, R) drew a walk to fill the bases. Kinzie Hansen began a three-hit night by singling home Coleman, Kasidi Pickering (2-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI) singled in a pair then Alyssa Brito (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) launched a two-run home run to left-center.

Coleman tacked on another run in the third with an opposite-field solo shot to left, pushing Oklahoma’s lead to 6-0. The Knights responded two innings later with an RBI double in the fifth to make it a five-run game.

Cowgirls go for sweep today

STILLWATER – The No. 4 Oklahoma State softball team swept a doubleheader with Kansas at Cowgirl Stadium Friday, erasing a 2-0 deficit to claim a 5-2 win in game one and erasing a 5-0 deficit to claim a 6-5 victory in game two.

The Cowgirls improved to 41-8 on the year (18-5 in the Big 12). The Jayhawks dropped to 27-20-1 overall (11-12 in the Big 12). Oklahoma State will look to complete the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.

The game two victory marked the 100th Big 12 Conference win of coach Kenny Gajewski’s career.

In game one, Lexi McDonald drove in four runs and Lexi Kilfoyl hurled a complete game.

Kansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the first two innings on a pair of RBI singles from Lyric Moore and Angela Price.

McDonald answered with a three-run double in the second to put the Cowgirls on top, 3-2. OSU added two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Micaela Wark and McDonald.

Lexi Kilfoyl improved to 18-3, striking out seven in the effort. Katie Brooks took the loss for KU, falling to 12-5.

In game two, a three run fourth and three runs in the fifth propelled the Cowgirls to a 6-5 comeback victory. All six runs came with two outs.

The Jayhawks plated five runs in the third inning on a passed ball, a walked-in run, an RBI single from Moore and a two-run single from Addison Purvis.

OSU cut the lead to 5-3 on an RBI single from Rosie Davis and a two-run double from Claire Timm.

The Cowgirls took the lead on a in the fifth on a three-run double Karli Godwin.

In the circle, Kyra Aycock improved to 7-2 for the Cowgirls. Lizzy Ludwig fell to 0-2. Aycock powered her way out of a seventh-inning jam to secure the victory. KU had the potential tying run on third and the potential go-ahead run on first with only one out, but Aycock got Moore to line out to Godwin at first base and then ended the game by getting Hailey Cripe to strike out looking.

On the day, OSU’s offensive standouts include McDonald (2-for-6 with four RBIs), Godwin (1-for-6 with three RBIs) and Timm (2-for-5 with three RBIs).