Tag: Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Lady Vols defeat Oregon State, UCF at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Tennessee wins two games on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

No. 5 Tennessee (7-3) won two games during the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Saturday in Cathedral City, California.

The Lady Vols defeated Oregon State, 6-1, and shut out UCF, 3-0.

Tennessee opened the day with a victory over the Beavers (6-8).

Kiki Milloy, Rylie West and Sophia Nugent each hit solo home runs against Oregon State.

West went 2-for-3, while Milloy hit her 59th career home run in the contest.

Tennessee’s Payton Gotshall (3-2) pitched a complete game. She allowed four hits and one run, while recording nine strikeouts.

Against UCF, West went 3-for-4 with one double and one run, while Taylor Pannell hit a two-run double.

The Lady Vols totaled eight hits and committed three errors against UCF (7-6).

Karlyn Pickens (4-1) pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and two walks. She recorded 14 strikeouts.

Oklahoma Sooners earn top 25 win over Mississippi State Bulldogs 9-3

The Oklahoma Sooners extended their winning streak with a big win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Oklahoma Sooners are out in California for the [autotag]Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic[/autotag]. And the first day of action in Cathedral City proved to live up to the hype.

In their first matchup of the evening, the Mississippi State Bulldogs fired the first salvo with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning from Jessie Blaine. But their first inning lead was shortlived as Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen tied it up with a two-run home run of her own.

Oklahoma starter [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] ran into some more trouble in the second inning against a very good Bulldogs lineup. Sierra Sacco gave Mississippi State the 3-2 lead on a single with two outs in the inning.

As they did in the bottom of the first, the Sooners answered right back in the bottom of the second.

True freshman [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] singled to lead off the inning and with one out, Avery Hodge’s infield single put runners on first and second for [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag]. Boone proceeded to give the Sooners the lead with a two-run double to right field.

In the bottom of the third, Parker tacked onto the Sooners lead, driving in Alyssa Brito to give OU a 5-3 lead.

The Sooners added two more runs to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] drew a one-out walk and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] doubled to bring her home for a 6-3 lead. The Sooners kept the pressure on with [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] singling to bring home Jennings to put Oklahoma in a commanding 7-3 lead.

After May walked the lead-off hitter on four pitchers to start the fifth, Patty Gasso brought in [autotag]S.J. Geurin[/autotag], who retired the next three Bulldogs hitters to get out of the inning.

More: How to watch the Oklahoma Sooners in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Oklahoma didn’t slow down their offensive onslaught, adding two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

After surrendering a one-out walk and a fielder’s choice, Gasso turned to [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]. Maxwell came in and got the final out of the inning.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh as Maxwell surrendered a pair of walks, but she also struck out the side to close out the Sooners win.

May threw four innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits and three walks. She also had four strikeouts in the game and earned her fourth win of the season. It wasn’t a clean performance, but she battled and was able to get out of some tough situations.

Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito, and Ella Parker each had two hits, and six different Sooners recorded an RBI in the top 25 win over Mississippi State.

More: Top matchups for this week in College Softball

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Kiki Milloy sets Lady Vols’ all time home run record

Kiki Milloy sets the Lady Vols’ all time home run record.

No. 5 Tennessee (5-3) split a pair of games on opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday in Cathedral City, California.

The Lady Vols opened the tournament with a, 4-0, victory over Loyola Marymount. Tennessee was run-ruled in its second game, losing to Cal State Fullerton, 11-2, in six innings.

Tennessee sophomore Karlyn Pickens (3-1) pitched a perfect game against Loyola Marymount. She pitched seven innings and recorded 12 strikeouts.

Kiki Milloy and McKenna Gibson each hit solo home runs for the Lady Vols. Destiny Rodriguez hit an RBI double and Taylor Pannell recoded an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Against Cal State Fullerton (8-3), Tennessee led, 1-0, after Pannell hit a solo home run in the second inning.

Cal State Fullerton led, 8-1, before Gibson hit an RBI groundout, which scored Milloy, who recoded two stolen bases in the contest.

Lady Vols’ starting pitcher Payton Gottshall suffered the loss as she allowed six hits and six runs (three earned) in 3.2 innings. She recorded eight strikeouts in the game.

Milloy became Tennessee’s all time home run leader (58), passing Meghan Gregg for most in school history.

Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State and the best matchups this week in College Softball

The Oklahoma Sooners face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a top 25 showdown, but what are the other top games this weekend.

The 2024 softball season is off and running, and tournament play from coast-to-coast continues this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading west for the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for a five-game slate. Additionally, some fantastic matchups are happening in Austin, Raleigh and in Athens.

But what are the best matchups happening this weekend? Here’s a look at eight games we’re looking forward to.

Sooners Still On Top: Updated look at the top 25 softball power rankings after Week 2

Updated look at college softball power rankings after week 2.

Week 2 of the softball season is in the books. And while the action in Clearwater, Florida, getting halted due to weather left much to be desired, it was another fantastic week on the diamond.

There were a number of impressive performances across the country and we’re beginning to see the top teams separate themselves.

Oklahoma may be in a tier of its own because of what it has done over the last three-plus years, but teams such as Texas and Georgia have been impressive as well.

On the flip side, powerhouse programs UCLA and Florida State have had slow starts.

The SEC is beginning to establish itself as the premiere softball conference. Mississippi State and Kentucky have picked up big nonconference wins this season. In D1Softball’s latest top 25, 11 SEC programs are represented. That’s not even including Oklahoma and Texas who will officially be joining the SEC in July.

The Red River Rivals have been on a tear to start the season and look to be on a collision course for the Big 12 title in their final years.

Here’s a look at the latest D1Softball top 25 and where those teams rank in the Softball America power rankings.

Updated to include USA TODAY Sports NFCA Coaches Poll and USA Softball/ESPN Poll.

More: 3 Stars from the Sooners 5-0 weekend in Lake Charles

Jordy Bahl perfect, Tiare Jennings homers twice as Oklahoma beats Cal-State Fullerton 10-0

Jordy Bahl throws six innings of perfect ball and Tiare Jennings homers twice as the Oklahoma Sooners beat Cal-State 10-0.

Jordy Bahl’s stellar start to her first season with the Oklahoma Sooners somehow got even better as she threw a perfect game in the Sooners 10-0 win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday afternoon.

On a day when the world was watching in suspense every time Jocelyn Alo took to the plate, it was the true freshman sensation who stole the show.

After throwing 2.2 perfect innings in her debut, this time she was perfect through six innings as Oklahoma garnered another run-rule win, their ninth on the season. Bahl and the Oklahoma Sooners have still not allowed an earned run through their 11th game of the season. Bahl’s 11 strikeouts mark the second time she’s reached double-digits this season after recording 14 against No. 3 UCLA last weekend.

In her dominant performance, Bahl allowed just one batter to get a ball out of the infield, a fly out to keep her day perfect.

Tiare Jennings led off the game with her sixth home run of the season and the Sooners stayed in control throughout. Jennings was 2 for 3 from the lead off spot with another home run later in the game with two RBIs. Jennings is now tied with Jocelyn Alo for the team lead in home runs in 2022. Alo was 0-2 with two walks on the day as Cal-State was reluctant to pitch to her on the day.

Jayda Coleman had a home run and three RBIs and Lynzie Elam notched a home run and two RBIs.

The Sooners are underway in their second game of the day against Long Beach State and are already up 3-0 after Grace Lyons launched a two-run home run in the top of the first.

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Oklahoma softball set to host Courtyard Marriott Tournament, how to watch

Oklahoma softball has played 14 straight road games to start their season, but will finally open up at home today.

Oklahoma softball has played 14 straight road games to start their season, but will finally play their home opener today against Northwestern.

The Sooners (11-3) have had an up-and-down beginning to their season. Despite being the fifth-ranked team in the country, the Sooners are nursing two-straight losses, one to No. 2 Washington and the other to unranked Wisconsin.

After winning its first six games of the season, Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season to Long Beach State. The Sooners rebounded with a win over then-No. 4 Arizona before heading to the Mary Nutter Classic.

In Cathedral City, California, Oklahoma finished 3-2, with wins over Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Seattle before losing to the Huskies and Badgers.

Next up the Sooners will host their first home-stand of the season, the Courtyard Marriott Tournament, playing five games over the weekend. They’ll take on Northwestern and Abilene Christian on Friday and North Texas on Saturday, with Saturday’s late game and Sunday’s game TBD.

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Patty Gasso was extremely high on the level of competition Oklahoma will be playing this weekend.

“The teams that we have coming are playing very well. They’re tough.” she said. “They have very good pitchers and anything we do now we face the best pitchers from every team we play. You just can’t let not having the success you want get in your head. Being at home is gonna make a big difference for us, I believe.”

Here is where you can find this weekend’s matchups.

WHERE: Marita Hynes Field (Norman, Okla.)

WHEN: Friday: 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT

Saturday: 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 CT.

Sunday: 12 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: SoonerSports.tv

HOW TO LISTEN: The Franchise 2 (1560 AM, 103.3 FM)

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma softball practice ahead of first home-stand of the season

Oklahoma softball had an up-and-down weekend. Here are three takeaways from their practice following their back-to-back losses.

Oklahoma softball had an up-and-down weekend, starting off with three-straight wins before dropping their final two games to No. 2 Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

The Sooners fell to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, and understand have some work ahead of them to reach the level head coach Patty Gasso expects of them. Here are three takeaways from their practice following their back-to-back losses.

Motivational Videos

Motivational videos were referenced more than once at Oklahoma’s practice on Tuesday, starting with Kinzie Hansen. “We watched a video about this woman who climbed to the top of Mt. Everest,” Hansen said. “It was a lot about being a selfless teammate and having to adjust and readjust,”

Coach Gasso echoed Hansen’s sentiment, saying the video was similar to the Sooner’s situation. “The message is, each weekend that we play it’s like climbing a mountain,” she said. “and when you climb Mt. Everest you climb a little way and then come back to base camp. Then you recover, you recuperate, then you go to the next level. It’s really relevant to what we’re doing right now. We’re back at base camp trying to recover and be better,”

Home Sweet Home

The Sooners have spent 14 games on the road, and are understandably ready to play in front of their home crowd. “I feel like it’s gonna be really cool,” said junior Taylon Snow, who transferred to Oklahoma from Auburn in the offseason. “Finally getting to feel what the Sooner family is really about for all of us newcomers, I think it’s gonna be great.”

Letting It Go

Back-to-back losses weren’t an ideal way to finish the weekend for Gasso and her Sooners, but with 25 years of coaching experience under her belt, she knew exactly what to tell her team. “It’s just understanding that losses are not the end all be all,” she said. “That no matter what we’re not gonna surrender and I felt like we did.”

Jocelyn Alo, who’s been thrust into a leadership role in her junior season, had plenty of advice for the newcomers on the team. “Just to let it go,” she said when asked what advice she’s giving the freshman. “There’s always gonna be another game, there’s always gonna be another pitch. There’s always gonna be a new day and there’s always room to improve.”

Oklahoma’s home-opener against Northwestern at Marita Hynes Field is on Friday at 3 p.m.

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Oklahoma softball falls to No. 5 in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

After suffering back-to-back losses in last weekend’s Mary Nutter Classic, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

After suffering back-to-back losses in last weekend’s Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The Sooners began their weekend with three-straight wins, but dropped their final two games to No. 2 Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

On Saturday, the second-ranked Huskies got all over Oklahoma early, scoring six runs off three home runs in the first two innings to take an insurmountable lead.

Two runs in the fifth inning would be all the Sooners could muster on a lackluster offensive day. Only Kinzie Hansen, Taylon Snow, Jocelyn Alo and Alycia Flores finished with hits.

On Sunday, the Badgers scored early and often against Oklahoma as well, scoring four runs in second inning that the Sooners wouldn’t overcome. Their best effort came in the form of a three-run third inning highlighted by back-to-back hits from Alo and Hansen. It wouldn’t be enough as Oklahoma fell to 11-3 and Shannon Saile took her second loss of the year in the circle.

After 14 games on the road, the Sooners open their five-game home stand, the Courtyard Marriott Tournament, with Northwestern on Friday at 3 p.m.

Oklahoma finishes 3-2 in Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Oklahoma softball finished 3-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic over the weekend to improve to X-X on the season.

Oklahoma softball finished 3-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic over the weekend to improve to 11-3 on the season.

The Sooners earned wins over Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Seattle University, but dropped a top-five matchup against second-ranked Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

Head coach Patty Gasso and her squad opened the weekend up with a run-rule victory over Nebraska, defeating the Cornhuskers in five innings.

In their second game on Friday, Oklahoma walked it off against the Aggies. In the bottom of the seventh inning Grace Green walked and stole second before Grace Lyons doubled to center to score Green for the 2-1 win.

Early Saturday, the Sooners beat Seattle 2-1, as Lyons and Jocelyn Alo both homered to score Oklahoma’s only two runs of the game.

No. 2 Washington jumped all over Oklahoma early, hitting three home runs in the first two innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Sooners strung together four hits in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t get back in the game, dropping the contest 12-2.

On Sunday, the Sooners lost to Wisconsin 4-3. The Badgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and the Sooners couldn’t complete the comeback.

Brooke Vestal, Giselle Juarez, and Saile earned wins in the circle in the first three games. Juarez suffered her first loss of the season against Washington, and Saile took the loss on Sunday.

Oklahoma is back in action on Friday, Feb. 28 as they host Northwestern for their home-opener.

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