Tag: Kasidi Pickering

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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Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners opening day at Love’s Field

The Oklahoma Sooners had a memorable day in the grand opening of Love’s Field and here are some of the best photos from the festivities.

The day lived up to the hype. The Oklahoma Sooners continued their incredible run to open Love’s Field like only they could do.

In their first game inside Love’s Field, Oklahoma needed a little Sooner Magic after Miami (OH) tied the game in the top of the seventh. And of course, it was the captain, [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] who provided the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning.

More: Sooners beat Miami 9-7 in walk-off fashion to open Love’s Field

The second game of the day was an 8-0 win in run-rule fashion, the style of win we’ve grown accustomed to with the Sooners during their three-plus years of dominance.

In both games, [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] hit a home run to continue an impressive start to her Oklahoma Sooners career.

As their record win streak hit 69 games, the Sooners ushered in a new era of Oklahoma Softball. With 4,450 fans in attendance, the sport reached new heights, creating even more buzz for a program that’s at the top of the sport.

More: Social media reacts to Sooners Opening Day at Love’s Field

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.

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

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.

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

Oklahoma Sooners softball may have found their next star

It’s only been four games but Oklahoma might have found their next star in freshman Kasidi Pickering.

Don’t look now, the Oklahoma Sooners might have found their next star softball player. It’s only been four games but freshman [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] leads the team with a .455 batting average and seven RBIs.

She also has one home run which was a grand slam in her first career at-bat. Depending on where you looked, Pickering was as high as the No. 4 prospect in the country and as low as the No. 16 prospect in the country coming out of high school and was a part of the No. 2 ranked recruiting class.

Pickering spoke about the differences from high school.

“It’s still the same game I feel like since we’ve all played,” Pickering said. “But the players just take it to a whole other level. There are so many more things you have to nitpick and take control of. So, just being aware of the situation and playing to the level.”

Playing to that high level and the high standard of Oklahoma softball she did.

Even though it was just a four-game stretch, it’s not often you are going to have a better batting average than players like [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] or [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] but that’s exactly what she did.

One thing is for certain, she’s going to make it very hard on [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] to not have her in the lineup just about every game.

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

3 Stars from Oklahoma Sooners 4-0 weekend in Puerto Vallarta

The Oklahoma Sooners finished the weekend 4-0 and here are the 3 Stars from their strong start to the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners 2024 season is off to a strong start. They’re 4-0 with a pair of top 10 wins over Washington and Duke. In the process, they extended their record-breaking winning streak to 57 games.

It wasn’t easy by any stretch, but the Sooners overcame adversity along the way to pull out the victories. They battled in an extra inning showdown that felt like a College World Series matchup and found a way to come out on top.

And while they went 4-0, it’s still early in the season and there are areas where they can continue to grow. The Sooners showed off their depth as veterans and true freshmen made contributions throughout the weekend.

As we continue our look at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, here are this weekend’s three stars and a couple of honorable mentions.

Oklahoma Sooners rally to beat Washington 4-3 in extra innings

The Oklahoma Sooners needed some late game heroics, but pulled out a 4-3 win over Washington in Puerto Vallarta.

There was controversy at multiple stages of the Oklahoma Sooners 4-3 win over Washington on Friday night, but OU pulls out the victory to remain undefeated at 3-0 and extend their record winning streak to 56 games.

After the Sooners plated two runs in the top of the first off the bats of [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag], the Washington Huskies came back with three in the bottom of the second.

A play at the plate in which [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] threw out Avery Hobson, but was ruled obstruction as Hansen moved back inside the basepath to receive Coleman’s throw. Instead of the Hobson being ruled out at the plate for the third out of the inning, she was awarded home, and the Huskies could cut the Sooners lead to one. Washington went on to add two more runs in the inning to take the lead.

According to the NCAA website, “defensive players will not be called for obstruction if they are in possession of the ball or if they are making a legitimate reaction to the trajectory of the ball after it is thrown.”

More: Social Media Reacts to Kasidi Pickering’s grand slam in first career at bat

After the three second inning runs, [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] was able to settle back in and keep the Huskies off the board for another two innings before giving way to [autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag].

Monticelli threw a scoreless fifth inning but ran into trouble in the sixth. But by that time the Sooners tied it up on a [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag] single to centerfield.

[autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag] came in and faced a couple of batters, but it was Kelly Maxwell who was the star late in the game.

She entered with one out and runners on first and third in the bottom of the sixth. And then more controversy ensued.

After Maxwell forced Kinsey Fiedler to bounce the ball right back to her, Maxwell threw it to Hansen at home, who applied the tag on Jing Gardner for the out. Replay showed Gardner getting in under the tag, but the umpire ruled her out and without the ability to challenge, it was the second out of the inning. Maxwell then forced a ground out to end Washington’s six inning threat.

In the top of the eighth inning, Pickering was placed on second base with Cydney Sanders coming to bat. Sanders chopped the ball back to the pitcher, and on Ruby Meylan’s throw to first, Pickering advanced to third. Then [autotag]Riley Boone[/autotag] stepped up with two outs and drove a pitch to left field to give the Sooners the one-run lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Maxwell was fantastic again. Though Oklahoma allowed the Huskies extra inning runner to advance to third on a grounder Alyssa Brito, Maxwell shut it down from there. She got Brooke Nelson to pop up to second base and then Fiedler to ground out to Brito, who made a nice stab down the line and a beautiful throw to first to end the game.

Oklahoma had a difficult time with Huskies pitcher Ruby Meylan. Meylan entered the game in the fourth inning and proceeded to stymie the Sooners’ vaunted lineup. In five innings, she recorded seven strikeouts while allowing just three hits and one walk.

Maxwell threw 2.2 innings and allowed just one base runner and a walk while striking out two to pick up her second win of the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners will close out their time in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic in their finale against Long Beach State on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

More: How to watch, listen to No. 1 Oklahoma in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

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

Kelly Maxwell shines in debut, Sooners shut out No. 10 Duke Blue Devils 3-0

Kelly Maxwell threw a gem in her Oklahoma Sooners debut, throwing five shutout innings in the Sooners 3-0 win over Duke.

One of the more highly anticipated debuts for the 2024 season was that of [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]. The Oklahoma State transfer delivered in her first start for the Oklahoma Sooners, throwing five shutout innings in Oklahoma’s 3-0 win over the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils.

Maxwell allowed a walk and a hit across those five innings to earn her first win with the Sooners. The Blue Devils opened the game with a hit from leadoff hitter D’auna Jennings, but Maxwell put the clamps on after allowing a leadoff walk in the top of the second. She was perfect over her final 12 batters.

Duke starter Cassidy Curd held the Sooners at bay for the first couple of innings, but [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] opened the scoring with a solo shot to center field to put Oklahoma up 1-0. [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] drove in [autotag]Maya Bland[/autotag]. Torres came around on an infield single by [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] and a throwing error to make it 3-0. That’s all Oklahoma’s pitching staff needed to improve to 2-0.

More: Social media reacts to Kasidi Pickering’s grand slam in her first career at bat.

Karlie Keeney relieved Maxwell in the sixth inning and retired Duke in order. The seventh inning was a little more interesting. After Keeney recorded the first out, Duke loaded the bases on a walk, single and hit by pitch.

With the go-ahead run at the plate, Keeney came through with a strikeout and groundout to earn her first save with the Sooners.

This is what the Oklahoma Sooners expected when they brought in Maxwell and Keeney via the transfer portal. They have the ability to pitch in big games and come through with big-time performances.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 2-0 and will face Washington and Long Beach State to close their time in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic. They have  won 55 in a row.

They’ll face the Washington Huskies on Friday night before taking on Long Beach State in the finale on Saturday.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic

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.

Social Media Reacts: Kasidi Pickering hits a grand slam in first career at bat for Sooners

Kasidi Pickering hit a grand slam in her first career at bat for the Oklahoma Sooners and here’s how social media reacted.

In the Oklahoma Sooners’ season opener in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic, a couple of true freshman are making their debut. Kasidi Pickering drew the start in right field and Ella Parker filled the designated player role.

Both made an impact in Oklahoma’s first game of the weekend. It didn’t take long for Pickering to make her presence felt. She hit a grand slam with two outs in the first inning for her first career home run. Pickering took the ball to the opposite field to give the Sooners a 4-0 lead.

It was quite a statement for the former top 10 prospect. Oklahoma is in control of its opener against Utah Valley, and Pickering’s grand slam helped get the party going.

Here’s how social media reacted to Pickering’s grand slam.