Tag: ella parker

Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners’ 5-1 win over Texas to win Big 12 tournament title

A look at the best photos from Oklahoma’s 5-1 win over the Texas Longhorns to clinch the Big 12 tournament title.

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.

Best Photos from Oklahoma’s win over Texas

No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners beat No. 1 Texas Longhorns 5-1, win Big 12 tournament championship

Kelly Maxwell recorded seven strikeouts and allowed just two hits to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to their second consecutive Big 12 tournament title.

Oklahoma Sooners pitcher [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw a gem, and the Sooners enacted Red River revenge on the Texas Longhorns to win the Big 12 tournament title.

Maxwell threw 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits and three walks. She recorded seven strikeouts against a vaunted Texas offense that was averaging just over 15 runs per game in its last five outings. Maxwell and the Sooners snapped Texas’ 18-game winning streak, which started with the second game of the OU-Texas three-game series in Austin.

Batting as the visiting team, the Oklahoma Sooners started early. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] reached on an error by first baseman Katie Stewart. [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] picked up an infield single, beating the throw from second base on a slow dribbler. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] made her presence felt with a double to score Coleman. With Parker on third, [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] came through with a fielder’s choice RBI to put Oklahoma up 2-0 in the first inning.

Maxwell worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first but ran into trouble in the second. After a couple of strikeouts, Maxwell surrendered a walk to Joley Mitchell and Kayden Henry drove in the Longhorns only run of the game with a triple to right center. Maxwell ended the threat, leaving Henry stranded on third.

Like they’ve done so many times, the Sooners responded in the top of the third inning. Parker singled and advanced on a wild pitch. She came around to score on a hard-hit ball by [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] to put Oklahoma up 3-1. Hansen brought Brito around to make it 4-1. Hansen had a double that she nearly turned into a triple, but the Texas relay throw was just in time to get Hansen at third and retire the side.

The Longhorns couldn’t take advantage of a lead-off single in the top of the third as Maxwell retired the next three Longhorns in order.

The Sooners tacked on another run in the top of the fourth after [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] reached on another Texas error. Boone singled up the middle to score Torres to put the Sooners up 5-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Maxwell needed just six pitches to retire the Longhorns in order. In the fifth, she surrendered a leadoff walk but struck out the next two Longhorns before inducing a ground out to end the inning.

In the sixth, Maxwell ran into trouble after she walked and hit Texas batters to put runners on first and second with nobody out for Big 12 Player of the Year [autotag]Reese Atwood[/autotag]. Atwood lined a ball to straight away center field that Jayda Coleman played perfectly to prevent the Longhorns from pushing two runs across.

But then [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and Jennifer Rocha went to the bullpen and senior [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag]. May had struggled from the circle, but was flawless in her 1 2/3 innings of work. May recorded three strikeouts to help preserve the victory and give the Sooners the Big 12 tournament title for the second year in a row.

It was Maxwell’s second Big 12 tournament title in the last three years after beating the Sooners as a pitcher for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in 2021. In this one, against arguably the hottest team in the country, Maxwell was lights out.

With the win, Maxwell moved to 17-2 on the season. Ella Parker continued her incredible tournament with another two-hit game. Parker was named most outstanding player for the tournament. She was 7-for-9 in Oklahoma’s three games with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs and six runs scored.

It’s the Sooners’ ninth Big 12 tournament title since the formation of the conference. Now, they head into the NCAA tournament on a high note. The Oklahoma Sooners will host an NCAA regional next weekend, but we’ll find out who it is on selection Sunday.

After beating Texas to split the four games, the Sooners have a chance to move back into the top spot after Tennessee was bounced early in the SEC tournament by LSU and Oklahoma State lost to BYU in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 13-2 win over the BYU Cougars

A look back at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 13-2 win over the BYU Cougars in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners are rolling now. They jumped out in front of BYU in their semifinal matchup and never looked back. But unlike Thursday’s win over Kansas when half of their hits went for extra bases, only two of the Sooners’ 13 hits against BYU were of the extra base variety.

They’re rediscovering the small-ball element of their game at the perfect time. A number of players in the lineup are stepping up, including their phenomenal freshmen.

[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] are proving ready to perform on the big stage. In the win over BYU, the two combined to go 5-for-6 with six RBIs.

[autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] was lights out for 4.2 innings, allowing zero hits before a bloop single followed by a two-run home run took the no-hitter and shutout away. Deal rebounded and recorded the final out to set up a Red River Showdown Saturday night.

With a big-time matchup against the Texas Longhorns on tap for Saturday evening in Oklahoma City, the Sooners are putting things together heading into the Big 12 championship game.

More: How to watch Oklahoma vs. Texas in the Big 12 championship.

Best Photos from Oklahoma’s win over BYU

Oklahoma Sooners advance to Big 12 title game with 13-2 win over BYU Cougars

Kierston Deal was magnificent and freshmen Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering led the way in Oklahoma’s 13-2 win over the BYU Cougars.

[autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] no-hit the BYU Cougars for 4.2 innings, and the Oklahoma Sooners offense struck early and often once again to beat the Cougars 13-2 and advance to the Big 12 title game.

It was the freshmen that came through in the first. [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] got the scoring going in the bottom of the first with a solo home run. The Sooners kept the scoring going when [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] drove in [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] to put OU up 3-0 after one.

With Deal rolling, the Sooners tacked on two more runs in the third, taking advantage of a throwing error that allowed Brito to reach second. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] drove her in with a hard single through the right side to make it 4-0. After Hansen stole second on a hit-and-run attempt, Pickering picked up her third RBI of the game on a single through the right side, and Oklahoma extended their lead to 5-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Sooners put together a hit parade. [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] walked, and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] reached on a bunt single. Parker drove in Hodge to make it 6-0. Jennings walked to load the bases for Brito, who came through with a two-run single. Hansen earned her second hit of the day to drive in Jennings and make it 9-0. Pinch hitting for Pickering, Hannah Coor singled up the middle to bring in Brito and make the score 10-0.

With one out in the inning, [autotag]Maya Bland[/autotag] walked and Hodge drove in a pinch running Riley Ludlam on a sacrifice fly. With two outs in the inning, Coleman reached again on another BYU error, which scored another Sooners run and Parker picked up her third hit of the day on a rocket to left center field.

Freshmen Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering combined to go 5-for-6 with six RBIs. Alyssa Brito also had a three-hit game with a pair of RBIs.

Deal’s no-hit bid was ended in the top of the fifth after ESPN made an extended point to show that there were no hits on the scoreboard. The no-hitter was broken up on a bloop single to right field and the shutout came to an end on a two-run home run from Hailey Morrow. But it was a fantastic performance from Deal, who held the Big 12’s third-best scoring offense hitless for 4.2 innings. It was another tremendous start from the sophomore over the last couple of months.

Now, the Sooners await the winner of the other semifinal between the Texas Longhorns and the Baylor Bears.

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Best photos from Oklahoma’s 10-1 win over the Kansas Jayhawks

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 10-1 run-rule win over the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners looked free, relaxed, and to be having fun in their 10-1 win over the Kansas Jayhawks. Half of their 10 hits were of the extra base variety. OU jumped on KU with five runs in the first inning before adding five more in the second and third to run away with their quarterfinal win in the Big 12 tournament.

It was a continuation of their 8-2 win in the finale against Oklahoma State last weekend. They were aggressive in the count and on the basepaths putting pressure on Kansas in a variety of ways.

“It’s fun to coach that way,” Patty Gasso said after the game. “It’s kind of hard at times. They’re such good hitters you don’t want to take the bat out of their hands, but they’re also very good with contact. They can hit bad pitches or not great pitches hard. I think we really wanted to make whoever we’re playing feel that way right from the start.”

Ella Parker and Alyssa Brito scored on close plays at the plate that only happened because of their aggressiveness.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], the top four hitters in the order, combined to go 6-for-7 with three extra base hits, three walks, eight runs scored, and seven RBIs. Rylie Boone helped set the table from her No. 9 spot with a two-hit day of her own.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] worked around a rough first inning to allow just one run but settled in to allow only one base runner in the next two innings. Peytn Monticelli allowed only a hit batter in her two innings of work.

Now, the Sooners continue in the Big 12 tournament with a 5 p.m. CT date against the BYU Cougars, who knocked off the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Two Oklahoma Sooners named to NFCA D1 Freshman of the Year top 25 watch list

The future is bright for two Oklahoma Sooner freshmen who were named to NFCA D1 Freshman of the Year watch list.

The future is very bright for the Oklahoma Sooners. While they are still a veteran team with a historic group of seniors, two freshmen are turning heads.

[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] aren’t just turning the heads of their teammates or local fans, they are making noise nationally. So much so that both were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association D1 Freshman of the Year top 25 watch list for the 2024 season.

Both have a great shot at winning the award and are having stellar seasons. Pickering is batting .378 and has five home runs with 31 RBIs. Parker, on the other hand, is hitting .394 and has seven home runs with 39 RBIs. They also both have an on-base percentage over .500.

 

They’ve been playing at such a high level that they have played in every game this season. Only five Sooners have played in every game.

It’s gotten to the point where they’ve played so well that it would almost be a shock if they weren’t in the lineup. The only thing you worry about is them hitting the freshmen wall and start struggling down the stretch. That hasn’t been the case up to this point, and the Sooners hope that won’t be the case moving forward because pretty soon, those two will be the faces of Oklahoma softball.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ offense shines in sweep of the Baylor Bears

The Sooners offense was firing on all cylinders as the Sooners swept the Baylor Bears.

This past weekend it was all about the offense for the Oklahoma Sooners as they dominated the [autotag]Baylor Bears[/autotag] en route to a sweep. The Sooners outscored the Bears 27-8 over the three games.

The big offensive outburst was in the first game on Saturday. The Sooners entered the bottom of the fifth inning only up 5-3. They went on to score seven runs in the frame, capped off by an [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] walk-off grand slam to complete the run rule.

Patty Gasso talked about what impressed her the most on Saturday.

“The offense was explosive throughout the lineup,” Gasso said. “Timely hits all throughout the lineup, all day long. I thought our defense was really good too. I thought we made some big plays. Pitching was good, there were a few hiccups, but overall it was a good solid day against a very good team.”

The Sooners, although still very good, hadn’t seemed like itself earlier in the season. But, like the rest of the team, they’ve caught fire. They are now averaging just over nine runs a game. They are averaging 10.7 runs per game in conference play.

This is great news for Oklahoma. The pitching has been pretty stellar all season long, but the hitting had to pick up, and it has so far. It’s a perfect time to do so, as the Sooners have a big time matchup this week in Lawrence against a surprising Kansas Jayhawks team before traveling to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns.

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No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners top Baylor Bears 8-1 in top 25 series opener

Kelly Maxwell had another outstanding performance and the Sooners erupted for seven runs in the 5th to beat Baylor 8-1.

What started out as a pitcher’s dual through the first four innings turned into another impressive win for the Oklahoma Sooners, who topped the Baylor Bears 8-1.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and RyLee Crandall treated the 8,798 fans in attendance to a back and forth pitching matchup that lived up to pregame expectations. Both pitchers came into the contest with sub-1.50 ERAs and through four innings, it was as tight a ball game as you’d expect.

The Sooners got on the board first in the bottom of the second when [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] beat out an infield single and a throwing error allowed [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] to score from first.

Though Maxwell was cooking, Baylor was able to manufacture the tying run in the top of rht fourth. Emily Hott led off with a bunt single and stole second base on a controversial 3-1 pitch that was called a strike. Hott then took third on a passed ball before scoring on a Abi Flores single. But that’s all the Bears could muster in the inning.

Oklahoma wasn’t able to answer in the bottom of the fourth despite getting a couple of Sooners on base. As she had done throughout the first half of the game, Crandall found a way out of another jam to keep the Sooners from taking advantage of a scoring situation.

Maxwell pitched a scoreless fifth and was rewarded for her strong outing as the Sooners exploded for seven runs in the fifth.

After becoming the all-time leader in doubles earlier in the game, Tiare Jennings put Oklahoma ahead for good with a two-run home run, her 11th of the season. But the Sooners weren’t done there.

With one out in the inning, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] earned back-to-back singles and then Cydney Sanders walked to load the bases. [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] earned an RBI with a walk of her own to make it 4-1. With the bases still loaded, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] went to her bench and brought in [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] who’s had a great week, hitting two home runs in the win over UT Arlington on Wednesday.

Torres took a 2-2 pitch and deposited it over the left field wall to put Oklahoma up 8-1.

Maxwell got the first out in the sixth before giving way to Peytn Monticelli, who closed it out allowing just one hit in 1.2 innings.

Maxwell, who was named NFCA and Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, moved to 9-0 on the season. She allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk while recording four strikeouts. She lowered her season ERA to 1.31. The fourth-inning run was the first Maxwell had allowed in her last 21 innings pitched, dating back to her 4-0 shutout win over Iowa State game.

Jennings, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week continued her incredible run with a 3-for-3 evening with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk. She raised her batting average to .444, which is second on the Sooners in 2024 behind Rylie Boone, who had a 3-for-3 day with a double.

Jayda Coleman didn’t record a hit, but she recorded three walks in the win. Ella Parker, Cydney Sanders, and Riley Ludlam each reached base twice.

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‘I try not to over-contemplate things’: Ella Parker taking the same approach to conference play

Oklahoma’s star freshmen starting to settle in now that conference play is here.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together one of the best freshman classes in the country this past season. It’s highlighted by two players who have made immediate contributions, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag].

Both have had great starts to their seasons. Parker is hitting .441, which is second on the team, with five home runs and 27 RBIs. Pickering is hitting .412 with four home runs and 22 RBIs.

Earlier in the season, the Sooners were playing five games just about every weekend, which can be a grind. Jayda Coleman even spoke about how tough that is and they are just now finding a groove as a team.

But it’s the same way for the freshmen. Ella Parker talked about her approach to playing five different teams in one weekend vs. playing the same team three times. “I keep it very simple,” Parker said. “I try not to over-contemplate things. That’s what’s helped me stay locked into each different team.”

Parker and Pickering are the future of the program, but they’ve been a big part of Oklahoma’s success this season. They both have played in every game so far this season. That right there just shows the confidence the team and coaches have in them.

But we’ve seen freshmen in every sport hit a freshman wall at some point in the season. As of now, that hasn’t happened with these girls and the hope is, it won’t happen anytime soon.

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Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen ‘day-to-day’ with knee issue

Oklahoma Softball: Kinzie Hansen day-to-day with knee injury

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a sensational start to Big 12 play, sitting at 6-0 with the Baylor Bears coming to town for a three-game set this weekend.

As OU prepares to host the only team to beat them in 2023, they may have to play without one of their captains, catcher [autotag]Kinzien Hansen[/autotag]. Patty Gasso said on Tuesday that Hansen is dealing with a knee issue.

“She’s got a little bit of a tweak in the knee that we don’t want to mess around with right now,” Gasso said Tuesday. “We’re just kind of playing it very cautiously. Riley Ludlam’s done a great job in that spot. So it’s just kind of day-to-day. She’s not out for the season or anything like that, we’re just kind of taking it day to day.”

Hansen has been fantastic in her final year with the Sooners, hitting .367 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Her work behind the plate defensively and with the pitching staff have also been critical to Oklahoma’s success.

In her only at bat last week, Hansen launched a solo home run in Friday’s game against Texas Tech in her first plate appearance. She didn’t play the rest of the weekend.

Taking her place in the ambiguous nature of day-to-day is [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag]. Ludlam, who transferred from Furman last offseason is having a really good year with the Sooners. She’s hitting .385 with two home runs, 16 RBIs and has recorded 13 walks this season. Her on-base percentage of .528 is third on the Sooners behind [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag].

Patty Gasso also revealed that in the even the Sooners need another catcher, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] will work as the emergency backstop.

The Oklahoma Sooners will play UT Arlington on Wednesday before they begin their three-game series with Baylor on Friday night in Oklahoma City at Hall of Fame Stadium. The final two games of the series will take place at Love’s Field in Norman.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma vs. UT Arlington

More: 5 takeaways from Oklahoma’s sweep of Texas Tech

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