It was a matchup of two of the best teams in college softball. Unlike recent seasons, when the Sooners were the No. 1 team in the nation, Texas held the top spot and was riding an 18-game winning streak. The Sooners stifled the Longhorns in a 5-1 win to secure the Big 12 tournament title.
But that didn’t matter to the three-time defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. They came into the Big 12 tournament with a more aggressive mindset, and it paid off in their win over the Longhorns. They were aggressive at the plate, putting the ball in play and forcing a Longhorns defense that has been a weakness to make plays. There were several times Texas couldn’t make the play, and Oklahoma capitalized.
[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] put together another strong pitching performance, limiting Texas to two hits. [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] found a groove in 1 2/3 innings of work to preserve the win.
“Masterful,” Patty Gasso said of Maxwell’s performance. “So good, so in control, so focused. Pretty elite, against a team that hits the way Texas does. That was an elite, elite performance.”
It truly was. Maxwell’s outing is exactly why it was huge she transferred to OU. They needed a bona fide ace, and Maxwell has delivered.
[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] had two more hits and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Parker has been great all season. Oklahoma fans know about her. Now, the rest of the softball world is going to find out just how great she is.
The win was a total team effort, with contributions from freshmen and seniors alike. The tournament win puts them on a positive trajectory heading into the NCAA tournament.