Tag: Florida Gators softball

Kelly Maxwell shows resiliency in extra-inning win over Florida Gators

Kelly Maxwell showed the heart of a warrior in her 148 pitch complete game effort to beat the Florida Gators in extra innings.

For the first time since 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners faced an elimination game in the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag]. In their winner-take-all game against Florida, Oklahoma faced an early deficit.

Sooners starter [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] gave up home runs in each of the first three innings, and the Sooners trailed 5-2 after three. But that’s where the scoring stopped for Florida as Maxwell took her game to another level and shut down the red-hot Gators offense over the final five innings, allowing zero runs.

“I think I took it personally, honestly,” Maxwell said. “I knew this team was going to fight back.”

It wasn’t a crisp performance, as Maxwell allowed five runs on four hits and five walks. But she recorded eight strikeouts and threw an incredible 148 pitches to lead the Sooners to a win.

About her performance, Maxwell said, “I flipped a switch, chose my fight, and went to war.”

That she did. She was a warrior for the Sooners, overcoming a tight strike zone on a day when her drop ball wasn’t consistent.

But it was an effort to remember. She’s been everything the Oklahoma Sooners could have hoped for from the circle as the veteran ace of the staff. She’s been cool, calm, and collected throughout. Even yesterday, Maxwell kept an even keel as she continued to battle through Florida’s lineup.

And now she gets an opportunity to play for a national championship. The Sooners will take on the Texas Longhorns in the championship series starting Wednesday night.

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Oklahoma Sooners beat Florida 6-5 on walk-off home run

The Oklahoma Sooners rallied to beat the Florida Gators 6-5 in extra innings on Jayda Coleman’s walk-off home run.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators put on a power display in their semifinal elimination game, but it was the Oklahoma Sooners who came out on top 6-5 on a walk-off home run from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] in the bottom of the eighth inning.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] got the start for the Sooners and gave up two run home runs in the first and second inning and a solo shot in the third. But then she held the Gators scoreless for the remainder of the game to keep the Sooners in the game.

After the two-run homer allowed in the first, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] came through with a two-run bomb of her own to tie the game. Oklahoma didn’t score again until the fourth inning when [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] added her own two-run bomb to put the Sooners down one.

Despite opportunities in the fifth inning to tie the game, Oklahoma was held at bay and Maxwell continued to battle, keeping Florida from cashing in with runners on in the top of the sixth inning.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] reached on a one-out double. Parker came up clutch again with an RBI single to tie the game.

Oklahoma had a chance to end it in the seventh after [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag]’s double, but the Sooners left her stranded.

Maxwell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth and then Jayda Coleman came through with the heroics to lead off the bottom of the inning with a home run to end the game. The home run was Coleman’s 13th of the season and arguably the most important of her career.

Prior to Coleman’s walk-off home run, it was a day for Ella Parker and unsung heroes Avery Hodge and Cydney Sanders. But now the most decorated group of seniors in softball history has a chance to add another title to their already illustrious career.

It was a resilient effort for Maxwell, who recorded eight strikeouts in her eight innings of work. She battled throughout, showing off her veteran mettle and keeping the Sooners in the game. It was her 22nd win of the season.

Now, the Oklahoma Sooners move on to face the Texas Longhorns in the championship series. It’s a rematch of the series two years ago. The two sides split four games in 2024, with the Sooners winning in the Big 12 tournament championship.

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Best photos from Oklahoma’s 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators

Photo Gallery of the Oklahoma Sooners 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators in the Women’s College World Series.

It didn’t go according to plan today for the Oklahoma Sooners, who turned to [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] in the circle. May had been lights out for the Sooners during the postseason but got hit by a good Florida Gators. The Gators knocked off the Sooners 9-3 to set up an elimination game between the two sides on Tuesday.

May allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in two innings pitched, giving way to Kierston Deal in the third who didn’t fair much better. Deal, who had also pitched well for the Sooners, allowed five runs on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings pitched.

At the plate, the Sooners left 10 runners in scoring position, which isn’t a great recipe for success. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] was 0-3 after opening the game with a lead off walk.

But it was just one game. The Sooners have an opportunity to right the ship in another matchup with the Florida Gators.

Oklahoma is still a win away from the championship series. Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners 9-3 loss to Florida.

Oklahoma Sooners lose 9-3 to the Florida Gators

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t keep the Florida Gators bats in check, losing 9-3, setting up an elimination game between the two future SEC foes on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma Sooners entered the day one win away from the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] Championship. The Florida Gators made sure it stayed the way with a 9-3 win over the Sooners to set up an elimination game on Tuesday.

The Florida Gators opened the scoring on a bloop single from Reagan Walsh. Florida added to their lead in the bottom of the third with an inside the park home run from Kendra Falby after Rylie Boone’s diving attempt came up short. All-American Skylar Wallace then went back-to-back with a home run she crushed to right field to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled to take advantage when they got the leadoff hitter on base. Their best chance came in the top of the second when Kasidi Pickering earned a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kinzie Hansen grounded back to the pitcher, but Pickering was able to advance to third on the play. Then Rylie Boone hit a liner to deep center that looked like it might clear Falby, but she made a tremendous play on the ball. Pickering failed to tag up on the play, believing the ball to end up a base hit and was forced to stay at third. Oklahoma couldn’t cash in as Florida pitcher Keagan Rothrock struck out Cydney Sanders to end the threat.

Down 4-1, the Sooners finally got on the board with an RBI single from Kinzie Hansen. But the Gators responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Sooners at a distance.

Tiare Jennings hit her 97th career home run and 10th in the Women’s College World Series. It was the lone highlight for a Sooners team that simply didn’t have it today.

Nicole May got the start after looking really sharp this postseason, but she and Kierston Deal were roughed up by a good Florida Gators offense.

The two combined to allow nine runs on 10 hits and they walked five batters. It’s the first time a former assistant of Patty Gasso has beaten the Sooners.

The loss ends the Sooners’ 11-game winning streak, and they will now need to beat Florida on Tuesday to advance to the Women’s College World Series Championship. Presumably Kelly Maxwell will get the start for the Sooners in the elimination game.

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Florida softball eliminated in NCAA Super Regionals

Florida failed to score a run in both games versus the Bulldogs. The Gators have been knocked out by UGA for the second time since 2016.

Florida has only failed to make the Women’s College World Series five times since coach Tim Walton took over the program in 2006.

Georgia has kept Walton’s team from Oklahoma City twice. The Bulldogs swept the Gators in the NCAA Super Regionals 4-0 in Game 1 Friday and 6-0 Game 2 Saturday.

UGA’s pitcher Mary Wilson Avant threw every pitch through two games and silenced Florida on the scoreboard. The Gators only recorded seven hits and struck out 13 times against Georgia’s ace.

“Whatever pitch she wanted, it felt like she could throw,” Florida coach Tim Walton said, according to The Gainesville Sun. “She probably touches more spots in the zone than any other pitcher we’ve faced all season. I thought our swings were good today, definitely a lot better than they were last night.”

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It didn’t matter who Walton sent out to the circle whether it was senior Natalie Lugo, junior Elizabeth Hightower or fifth-year Katie Chronister. Georgia slammed five homers off of Florida’s staff.

Georgia’s Jaiden Fields, the younger sister of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, earned two dingers.

The Gators only suffered 11 losses this season, but Avant was the winning pitcher in three of Florida’s defeats. It also took two out of three games against the Bulldogs earlier this season.

Georgia limped into the postseason. It lost its last seven regular-season games and collected a 7-17 record in SEC play. The Bulldogs have now rattled off five straight wins and have ousted No. 13 Duke and No. 4 Florida.

Walton and his program will have to say goodbye to fifth years Chronister, Kendyl Lindaman and Jaimie Hoover. Lugo and her classmate Hannah Adams said after the game that they will use the fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA.

“We had a fantastic season, played really well,” he said. “We lost one series all year long. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong series to lose. Overall, it was more Georgia and less us. They just did a much better job competing this weekend than we did.

“But I am proud of our team. They’ve accomplished a ton. We had some huge growth in our program. So really proud of what we’ve built here and the consistency. Disappointed that we’re not advancing, but I’d much rather get beat than beat myself. And they beat us.”