Tag: Cydney Sanders

Kierston Deal shines, Oklahoma Sooners beat Texas A&M Commerce 9-0 in five innings

Kierston Deal threw three innings of one-hit ball and the Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a five-run first inning lead in their 9-0 win.

It didn’t take long for the Oklahoma Sooners to get going in their midweek showdown with Texas A&M Commerce. The Sooners jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back en route to a 9-0 run rule win to improve to 19-1 on the season.

[autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] got the start for the Oklahoma Sooners. She allowed a lead-off single and then retired the next nine batters she faced in her three innings of work. She got out of the first inning with two strikeouts to keep Texas A&M Commerce from adding to the lead-off single.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] led off the game with a walk, followed by a couple of flyouts from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]. But the Sooners were masterful with two outs. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] drew a four-pitch walk and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] continued her strong freshman campaign with a two-RBI double to put the Sooners up 2-0 in the first.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] was intentionally walked bringing up freshman Ella Parker, who lined an 0-1 pitch to right field for the three-run home run to put the Sooners up 5-0 after the first.

After a 1-2-3 second inning from Deal, [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] led off the bottom of the second with a double and moved to third on Boone’s bunt single. Brito had another hard-hit ball to center field to bring home Sanders on the sacrifice fly and the Sooners led 6-0.

Deal threw another flawless inning in the third, picking up her fifth strikeout of the game.

In the bottom of the third, Hansen led off with a single to center. With [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] in to pinch run for Hansen, Pickering added her second RBI double of the game. Coleman singled to center field to bring home Pickering for the 8-0 lead. After [autotag]Hannah Coor[/autotag] entered the game to pinch run for Jennings, [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] doubled to make it 9-0 in favor of the Sooners.

[autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] worked two scoreless innings of relief in the fourth and fifth to preserve the run-rule win. Over five innings of work, Deal and Monticelli combined to allow just two hits and one walk.

Deal is now 4-0 with a team-leading 0.97 ERA in 2024. Over her last four starts, Deal has now gone 19 innings without allowing a run. In that span she has a 0.63 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) and has recorded 23 strikeouts.

Pickering was the only Sooner with multiple hits in the game. She now leads the Sooners with a .458 batting average. Boone, Hansen, and Coleman each had a walk and a hit in the win. Parker’s home run was her fourth of the season. Along with the four home runs, she now has 18 RBIs on the season, good for third on the team.

Oklahoma will open Big 12 play this weekend with a three game home slate against Iowa State. The Cyclones are currently 9-10 on the season ahead of their trip to Norman.

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Oklahoma Sooners historic 71-game win streak comes to an end

All good things must come to an end as the Sooners are stunned vs. Lousiana.

The Oklahoma Sooners took on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for the second time this weekend to complete a five-game weekend. And for the first time in more than a year, the Sooners took a loss, falling to Louisiana 7-5 in eight innings.

Things did not start well for Oklahoma as [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] got the start and the Sooners quickly found themselves down 2-0 at the top of the 4th inning. [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag] came on in relief but walked a batter with the bases loaded to increase Louisiana’s lead to 3-0. The Sooners offense struggled to get anything going for much of the contest off of Ragin’ Cajun starter Chloe Riasetto.

The bottom of the fourth is where it looked like the Sooners would start to get going as Kinzie Hansen hit a two-run home run to cut the Ragin’ Cajuns lead to 3-2. But anytime the Sooners looked like they were about to settle down, Louisiana answered. They visitors scored a run in the top of the 7th inning as [autotag]Alyssa Britto[/autotag] fielded a ground ball before firing it home to Hansen. Hansen ended up mishandling the ball, allowing the runner to score to extend the lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Sooners were down two runs with one out. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] came up to bat and cut the lead to one with an RBI single. [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] came in to pinch hit and looped a ball into shallow right field that was misplayed. Maya Bland was running on contact and advanced to third. The throw home snuck through the Louisiana catcher, and Bland skirted home to tie the game.

In extra innings, Louisiana answered once again. They were able to get the bases loaded with no outs thanks to multiple errors by the Sooners’ defense. Ultimately, Lousiana was able to score three runs in the inning to go up 7-4.

[autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] hit a solo shot to make it 7-5 and Alynah Torres reached first to bring the tying run to the plate. But with two outs and one on [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] stepped up to the plate with the record on the line. She grounded out to second, and the game was over. The Sooners lost 7-5, and their 71-game winning streak ended.

Their next game is Wednesday against Texas A&M Commerce at 6:00 p.m. CT.

More: Social media reacts to end of Sooners 71-game winning streak

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Oklahoma Sooners beat Liberty Flames 15-3 behind 7 extra base hits

Behind seven extra base hits, the Oklahoma Sooners cruised to a 15-3 win over Liberty.

The Oklahoma Sooners bats came to life in a 15-3 throttling of the Liberty Flames to improve to 18-0 on the season. In the process, they extended their record win streak to 71 games.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] got the start for the Sooners. After giving up three runs in the first inning to Miami (OH), May held the Red Hawks scoreless for the remainder of her outing. That continued against Liberty on Saturday as she threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit in the process.

The Sooners got the scoring going in the second inning when [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] launched a solo shot to deep left-center field. It was her third home run of the season on a day where Sanders went 2-for-2 with the home run, a double, a walk, and four RBIs.

Still in the second, after she doubled and advanced to third on a [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] single, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] then crushed her sixth home run of the season to make put OU up 4-0. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] then added another run on a Liberty throwing error to put the Sooners well in front 5-0.

More: Social media reacts to Sooners walk-off win in Love’s Field opener

In the Sooners next at bat in the bottom of the third, the Sooners put up seven runs on five hits. Sanders added three runs in a base-clearing double to put Oklahoma up 12-0 after three.

In the bottom of the fourth, [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] had an RBI single and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] a two-run home run, putting Oklahoma up 15-0.

More: Best photos from Opening Day at Love’s Field.

Oklahoma allowed three runs in the top of the fifth on back-to-back home runs, but the game was already well decided at that point.

Six different Sooners had at least two hits, led by Coleman’s three-hit game.

Oklahoma will close out the OU Tournament with a game against Louisiana on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. CT at Love’s Field.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma in the OU Tournament

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Oklahoma Sooners walk off opener at Love’s Field, 9-7 over Miami (OH)

It didn’t start off great but Oklahoma rallied for a 9-7 walk-off win in their first game at Love’s Field.

The Oklahoma Sooners played their first game at their new home. [autotag]Love’s Field[/autotag], the nation’s largest on-campus softball stadium, is the new home of the Sooners.

Things didn’t start well for the Sooners. The nation’s leader in home runs, the Miami (OH) Redhawks, hit back-to-back home runs off [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] in the top of the 1st inning to get things started. The Redhawks led 3-0 after the top of the 1st. The Sooners loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the 1st but only managed to score one run on an [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] sacrifice fly that scored [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]. Miami (OH) led 3-1 after one.

The 2nd inning was all about clutch pitching. Both pitchers were able to get out of two on jams.

The bottom of the 4th inning looked like it was going to be a big one. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] started things off by putting runners on second and third respectively with no outs. [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] grounded out but was able to score Boone. Right after that, Miami (OH) struck out [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] and got Coleman to pop out to only allow one run. The Redhawks led 3-2 after four.

[autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag] made quick work in the 5th inning and then [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] hit the first Sooners’ home run at Love’s Field to tie the game up at three heading to the 6th inning.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] came in as a pinch hitter and hit a single up the middle that scored Hansen to give the Sooners their first lead. The very next at-bat, Coleman hit a two-run shot to give the Sooners a 6-3 lead. But they weren’t done there because in the very next at-bat freshman [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] hit a solo shot to right field. The Sooners headed to the 7th inning with a 7-3 lead and needed three outs to improve to 15-0 on the season.

Keeney allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs to Miami to tie the game at seven with no outs in the inning. Keeney recovered to retire the side, setting the game up for another heroic moment.

The Sooners needed someone to step up and it was two of their veterans who did it. Boone started things off with a single before Hansen hit a walk-off two-run home run to win the game and extend Oklahoma’s winning streak to 68 and open Love’s Field with a huge win.

The Sooners face Liberty in the night cap of their double-header in their new home.

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Kelly Maxwell throws a gem in Sooners 8-1 win over McNeese State

Kelly Maxwell struck out 8 and Alyssa Brito launched her fourth home run in the Sooners 8-1 win over McNeese State.

After picking up a run-rule win in their opener in the Cowgirl Challenge, the Oklahoma Sooners kept the good times rolling in their nightcap with the 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier McNeese State.

It was another decisive win for the Sooners. However, they were forced to play from behind due to a first inning home run from McNeese State’s Corine Poncho off of Sooners starter [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag].

She left the ball high and over the plate and Poncho made her pay for it with a drive to deep center field. Maxwell rebounded with a masterful performance over the remainder of her five innings pitched.

After the home run, Maxwell allowed just two more hits the rest of the way and racked up eight strikeouts without allowing a walk to lead the Sooners to the 8-1 win.

It didn’t take long for the Sooners to respond to the early deficit. After going down in order in the top of the second, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] led off the top of the second with an infield single and [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] drove a ball up the middle for a single of her own. After [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag]’s fielder’s choice put runners on first and third with one, [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] struck out on a 3-2 pitch. But with two outs in the inning, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] came through in the clutch once again with a two-RBI single to center field to give the Sooners the 2-1 lead.

Maxwell pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the second for the shutdown inning and the Sooners went right back to the work in the top of the third with a lead-off single from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]. Coleman advanced to second on a wild pitch.

After another infield single from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], Coleman and Brito scored on a bunt single from [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and a throwing error to put the Sooners up 4-1. Hansen then drove in Jennings on a sacrifice fly to end the inning with a commanding 5-1 lead.

Though they had opportunities to add to the lead in the fourth and fifth after getting their lead-off hitter on base, the Sooners couldn’t capitalize. However, Oklahoma took advantage of [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag]’ lead-off single in the sixth. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] earned her second base hit of the game and fourth of the day to move Sanders to second. A sacrifice bunt from Alynah Torres moved Sanders and Boone into scoring position for Jayda Coleman, who drove Sanders in with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1. Then Alyssa Brito hammered her fourth home run of the season on a 2-2 count to put Oklahoma up 8-1.

[autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag] relieved Maxwell in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings to finish off the Cowgirls and move to 6-0 on the season. With the win, the Sooners winning streak moves to 59 games ahead of their double-header on Saturday.

Maxwell is now 3-0 on the season and has allowed just four hits in 12.2 innings of work. The opposition is hitting just .098 off of Maxwell in the early stages of the season.

Brito finished the day 3-for-4, and Hansen and Boone also collected multi-hit games. It was Boone’s second game of the day with a pair of hits. Boone and Brito are now hitting .500 on the season. Brito is tied with Kasidi Pickering for the team lead in RBIs with seven. Boone is just two off the pace with five RBIs in 2024 after collecting four between the two games on Friday.

The Sooners are back in action on Saturday with games against Lamar and McNeese State. The game against Lamar can be streamed on SoonerSports.com while the matchup with McNeese State will be streamed on ESPN+.

More: How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Sooners in Cowgirl Challenge

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Oklahoma Sooners run rule Central Arkansas 9-0 to open Cowgirl Challenge

Oklahoma Sooners opened their weekend in the Cowgirl Challenge with a 9-0 win over Central Arkansas.

The Oklahoma Sooners offense erupted in the bottom of the fourth inning for nine runs, which was all they needed to beat Central Arkansas and move to 5-0 on the season.

Central Arkansas starter Julia Petty kept the Sooners’ bats at bay for three innings, surrendering just a few hits. But in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Sooners bats came to life.

[autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. True freshman [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] took advantage and drove Hansen in on an RBI single, giving the Sooners a 1-0 lead. Parker took second on the throw home. After [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] walked, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] singled to bring Parker in to make it 2-0. Pickering went first to third on the hit to keep the scoring threat alive.

After Torres stole second, putting a pair of runners in scoring position, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] cleared the bases with a triple to right field. [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] followed that up with a triple of her own to make it 5-0 Sooners with no outs in the inning.

Hodge scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0 followed by doubles from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] made it 7-0. [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag], pinch hitting for [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], reahed on an error and Hansen walked to load the bases for Parker. Parker came through again with an RBI single to score Jennings and make it 8-0 and put the run rule in effect. The final run of the nine-run fourth inning came from [autotag]Hannah Coor[/autotag], who reached on a fielder’s choice but scored Ludlam in the process.

It was the type of showing that reminded us that the Sooners can put runs on the board in a hurry. They sent 11 batters to the plate before Central Arkansas was able to record an out in the inning. By the time the bottom of the fourth came to a close, the game was all but over.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] threw another four scoreless innings to keep her ERA at a perfect 0.00 on the season. She allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six for another fantastic performance from the Sooners veteran.

[autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] worked a scoreless fifth inning, surrendering a walk while also striking out the side to close out the Sooners win.

Coleman, Jennings, Parker, and Torres each recorded two hits. Parker and Boone each had a pair of RBIs.

It was a strong performance to start the weekend in Lake Charles. Though the bats were slow to get going, once they did, Oklahoma couldn’t be stopped. The Sooners extended their record winning-streak to 58 games with the win ahead of their night cap with McNeese State.

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Oklahoma Sooners close weekend with 11-3 win over Long Beach State

Karlie Keeney was fantastic in relief and the Oklahoma Sooners pulled away from Long Beach State late to earn the 11-3 win.

The Oklahoma Sooners finished their weekend in Puerto Vallarta with a 4-0 record and a 57-game winning streak.

As was the case on Friday night, the Sooners were tested on Saturday by Long Beach State before exploding late for the 11-3 win.

[autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] opened the scoring in the top of the first with a three-run blast to put Oklahoma ahead early.

[autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag], who drew the start, allowed a leadoff single before retiring the next three hitters. The bottom of the second though, wasn’t as kind. Long Beach State tagged her for three runs on three hits and a walk. Liberty transfer [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag] came in to put an end to the inning.

Keeney was magnificent, throwing 4 1/3 innings of perfect ball. Long Beach struggled to make good contact, and the Sooners defense made every play that came its way. Keeney’s outing provided the momentum Oklahoma’s bats needed to come around.

With the game tied 3-3 in the fourth, [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] rocketed a ball to deep center field. It looked like Lilyanna Martinez was there to make the play, but the ball hit off her glove and went over the fence for a home run, Sanders’ first of the season.

In the sixth, the Sooners broke it open. Brito led off with a solo home run, her second on the day and third of the season to make it 6-3. Sanders and Avery Hodge recorded infield singles, and [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] walked to load the bases with no outs. Ella Parker and [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] drew bases-loaded walks to make it 8-3 before [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] grounded into a double play to score Parker and make it 9-3. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] capped the scoring with a two-run shot that went a long ways to make it 11-3. It was Jennings second home run of the season.

[autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] came in to pitch the seventh and recorded a scoreless relief appearance to seal OU’s win.

Brito was 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead the way. Hansen was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. Sanders also had two hits.

Oklahoma’s road tour continues next weekend when it heads to Lake Charles, Louisiana, for the Cowgirl Challenge. It will take on Central Arkansas and McNeese State on Friday, Lamar and McNeese State on Saturday before closing the weekend with Central Arkansas again on Sunday.

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‘We’ve got six very viable pitchers’: Sooners have a loaded pitching staff once again

The Sooners pitching staff might be as deep as it’s been in recent memory.

Softball season is finally here, and the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to make history once again. The back-to-back-to-back national champions are looking to win their fourth championship in a row. A feat that has never been accomplished in the sport of softball.

The Sooners return a number of players from last year’s national championship team, including [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] who have been a part of all three.

The Sooners’ pitching staff may have the biggest question marks. Simply because they lost [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] from last year’s team. But they added an All-American in [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag], [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag], and [autotag]Paytn Monticelli[/autotag] to go along with May and sophomores Kierston Deal and S.J. Guerin.

Patty Gasso spoke about how deep she feels her pitching staff is this season. “We’ve got six very viable pitchers,” Gasso said. “All of them could help us in some way shape or form. It may be very likely you see Nicole May get things started because she’s like the matriarch of this pitching staff. She’s earned it and deserved it. But you are going to see a lot of looks this weekend as well. We’ve got to get this figured out as to who is going to be a game-changer for us in the first three weeks.”

The Sooners start their season with two top-10 teams in their first three games. If they can get past both of those, they’ll have plenty of time to play with their pitching rotation to be prepared for conference play.

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7 Sooners included in D1Softball’s top 100 players entering 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners were well-represented in D1 Softball’s top 100 players ahead of the 2024 season.

The top team in the nation for the last three seasons is reloaded and ready to defend their crown in 2024.

Riding a 53-game winning streak, the Sooners enter the season as the No. 1 team in the nation and look to win a record-setting fourth-consecutive national title.

Though they experienced some turnover, like the loss of Jordy Bahl to Nebraska, the Sooners are still the most talented team, top to bottom. They have a deep lineup and once again a deep pitching staff thanks to Patty Gasso and Jennifer Rocha’s recruiting at the high school ranks and via the transfer portal.

Seven Sooners were represented in D1Softball’s preseason top 100 players (subscription required) in college softball. Oklahoma claimed two of the top six spots, four in the top 15, and six players in the top 26 in the nation. Five of those six are returning from the 2023 season.

Stanford was the only other team with multiple players in the top 15, with [autotag]NiJaree Canady[/autotag] ( No. 4) and [autotag]Taryn Kern[/autotag] (No. 12). Former Sooner [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] came in at No. 2 in the nation behind Clemson’s Valerie Cagle at No. 1.

Here’s where the seven Sooners landed in the annual preseason ranking.

Oklahoma should target Indiana All-American Taryn Kern in the transfer portal

If the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to add another bat to their lineup, Indiana transfer Taryn Kern may be the answer.

The Oklahoma Sooners have done a fantastic job retooling their roster with their high school recruiting prowess and through the transfer portal. Oklahoma’s star power is homegrown, but there’s no denying the impact the portal had on this year’s team.

[autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] played significant roles in Oklahoma’s 61-1 national championship season. With Storako and Lee out of eligibility and Grace Lyons departing, there’s room for the Sooners to dip into the portal for an infusion of talent.

One player they should take a look at is Indiana’s [autotag]Taryn Kern[/autotag]. Kern led the Hoosiers with a .404 batting average, 23 home runs, 68 RBIs and 68 runs scored. Each of those marks broke Indiana softball single-season records. She was second in the nation in home runs and fifth in runs batted in.

In the NCAA tournament, Kern hit ,300 with one home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored in four games in the Knoxville Regional.

As a freshman, Kern was a D1Softball All-American and NFCA second-team All-American and an NFCA freshman of the year finalist in 2023. Kern was Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023.

She played second base for Indiana, which would either require Kern or [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to move to shortstop.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a great deal of talent coming back for the 2024 season, and they will be the favorite to win the national title yet again. But if they wanted to bolster their ranks further, taking a run at Kern would provide another great bat to the lineup.

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