Behind Nicole May - Sooners defeat Tulsa 9-0 in 5 innings.

[OUBeliever56A]

Nicole May pitched pretty well against Tulsa as she tossed a 3-hitter with 2 walks for her 6th CG and her 5th shutout of the season. as she led the Sooners t the 9-0 win in 5-innings. The Oklahoma Sooners who are now 33-0 on the season. They have won 18 games while pitching a shutout and 19th with a CG by the starting pitcher. They have won 27 games by run-rule. Tulsa fell victims to each of those statistical trends for the Sooners.

In the game, May only reached a 3 ball count against 3 batters. Two of them she walked the batter, the 3rd time, she struck out the batter for the last out of the game. She pitched to a batter with a runner in scoring position 7 times in the game. In the 2nd inning, May gave up a double to RC with one out. the next batter laid down a bunt for a sacrifice moving the runner to 3rd. The next batter grounded back to May for a 1-3 ground ball out. In the 3rd inning, after a ground ball FC with a throwing error a runner was on second with 1 out. The next runner singled up the middle to move the runner to 3rd base. May struck out the next hitter on 3 straight pitches. The final out of the 3rd was on a ground ball to Elam at 1B. In the 5th inning, Tulsa hit their second double of the game to LC with 2 outs. May struck out the next hitter on a 3-2 count. May held Tulsa to 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and the lone hit she allowed did not score the runner. Job Well Done!

May struck out 6 in her five innings of pitching. She threw a minimal 66 pitches in the game. She worked quick and she was efficient. She lowered her ERA to 0.86 and the Team ERA was lowered to a 0.65. May's ERA is third lowest on the team along with Trautwein's 0.13 ERA and Bahl's 0.80 ERA.

The Sooner pitching has simply been the best in D1 softball in 2022. As a staff, they have allowed only 0.475 hits per inning and .355 W/HB per inning for a total of 0.83 H/W/HB per inning allowed. In a 5 inning game, which the Sooners have played 25 times, they will only allow 4.15 runners. That is a great low number! On top of that, the Sooners have struck out 1.60 batters per inning. So while they allow 4 base runners they will total 8 Ks in those same 5 innings. Only 7 balls have been hit for outs in a typical 5 inning game in 2022. As a team, the Sooner pitchers are allowing a 0.137 batting average against with only 24 EBH allowed (17 doubles, 2 triples and 5 HRs).

On offense, the wind was a big factor in the game. The first fly ball of the game hit by the Tulsa leadoff hitter was hit pretty well to RF. The ball quickly died against the wind and was caught by Alo in mid-depth RF. Several fly balls hit to left just simply did not go anywhere but into foul territory quickly. I think going into the game that the Sooners were thinking small ball. That became evident when the Sooners stole their 4th base of the game in the 2nd inning of the game. The Sooners had 5 in the game. The Sooners also had 'four' sacrifice hits in the game and one sacrifice fly. The Sacrifices were by Alo, Johns, Snow and Johns. They tallied 10 hits in 18 at bats and scored 9 runs with runs in each inning and two crooked numbers in the 2nd and the 3rd innings. Brito and J Coleman had two hits each with 6 others adding one hit to the total. The only two starters without a hit were Jennings and Johns. Jennings led off the bottom of the first with a walk and scored while Johns had 'two' sacrifices in the game in her only two at bats. so every starter contributed. Brito, who entered the game after Jennings was removed from the game after top of the 2nd inning, recorded two singles. Nugent, a PH in the 4th, walked. Green, a PH in the 4th grounded into a FC. Donihoo, who subbed in for J Coleman in the top of the 4th, recorded a RBI with a SFLY. So each Sooner contributed in some way to the victory. Even Coor, who pinch ran for Hansen in the 3rd, had a nice steal of 2nd base that held up after a review of the play and a great slide at home to score a run as she laid out flat and got under the tag on a close play.

Hansen, who started at DP and then moved to catcher in the top of the 2nd, looked like she was moving better, was 1 for 3 looked better behind the plate. On a secondary injury issue. Jennings did something to her right leg, I think, as he crossed the plate in the first. She did play defense in the second but was then lifted from the game and replaced by Brito. It did not sound serious but for precautionary reasons she was removed. There is no reason not to be cautious about injuries. The Sooners have depth as was evident last night.

A note on defense. Snow made a nice play on a low line drive to her right in the 1st inning. Johns made a very nice play on a bunt in the 2nd for an out. she looked in control and made a strong throw. Elam and Hansen both smoothened low pitches for strike 3 and followed the swing with a throw to first base for an out. Elam made a nice play at first base on a ground ball to her right and then ran to the base to easily get the batter in the 3rd for the final out.

Two other defensive notes. 1) In the 2nd inning May allowed a pretty well hit ball to RC between Alo and J Coleman. Both players tracked the ball well. Alo had the best chance to catch the ball but did not. J Coleman ran the ball down in RC and threw the ball into 2nd as the runner arrived safely. Not that Alo made a bad play at all, but I think if Boone would have been in RF that the ball would have been caught for an out. It will surprise no one that Boone is a better outfielder than Alo. The need to keep Hansen in the lineup as she rebounds from her injury forces Alo to play the OF. It did not matter in this game but the sooner Hansen is at full speed the better as Alo can possibly be the DP after that. Where that leaves Elam, I am not sure. 2) Lyons' throw to first base on the attempted double play in the 3rd looked to totally surprise her. After the throw entered the dugout on the fly, Lyons looked perplexed or mystified. She had time on the throw as Snow, playing 2B, did a good job of feeding the ball to Lyons on the outside of the bag quickly. The throw to first was just wide right.

The Sooners played well in their victory over Tulsa. Could it have been better? Slightly, I guess without the error and maybe with a couple more EBH to add to Elam's double down the right field line. But other than that, they Sooner showed why they are 33-0.

The Sooners travel to Lubbock to play Texas Tech on Friday thru Sunday. With the Jennings hiccup, the Sooners will have some doubt perhaps. But they are equipped to handle things. The Sooners have played the lineup of Snow at 2B and Elam at 1B a couple times lately. So that is a possible scenario. Another is for Jennings to play 3B and Snow at 2B with Elam at 1B. We have seen this a couple times also lately. Both lineups allow Alo to be in the DP spot if Hansen is able to play catcher a full game. I think she could do that right now. If Elam needs to catch, Green can play 1B also.

The pitching for the Sooners should carry the day in Lubbock in that wind that is always there. It will be a new experience for Bahl, a Big 12 game on the road. All three pitchers, Trautwein, Bahl and May look ready to take care of a Tech offensive lineup. The #1 Tech pitcher, Fritz, can pitch but she seems to have a low strike out ration. That could be key. If the top Tech pitcher cannot get Ks, the Sooners usually make contact for EBHs.

Boomer Sooner!

[TropicalSooner]

Thanks for the recap and your analysis '56. It's really nice to know that we have finesse with the short game as well as the power game. That will give our future opponents something more to think about when they go about their planning to play us. All of us love the doubles and home runs but the short game gives another great dimension to our offense. I loved Alo bunting! Who woulda thunk!
I like all our pitchers but May just kinda sneaks up on you. When you think you are preparing for Bahl or Trautwein, and then May comes in--that's a real treat to have that third pitching option.
Boomer!

[ousbfan]

Nice 56, about Jennings it looked like on the replay that after she crossed the plate about the 2nd step past one foot sorta tripped the other and she stumbles a little then slightly limped on the way back to the dugout. Lyons throwing error really was a surprise as I don't think I've seen that happen again since she's been here. Alo's bunt caught everyone off guard including the whole defense, and was described by the announcers for Bally Sports that it appeared that PG was working on things now that might be needed later on.

For myself personally the sweetest thing I noticed was Coors home plate slide. It looked like a sheet of thin paper sliding under the tag at home, fully body flat including the helmet on the ground to get under the tag, totally awesome slide.

[SwampSooner]

Probably a dumb question, but I was wondering the meaning of crossing the arms after getting a base hit. It looks like they are yelling something to the dugout (or next hitter?)

[ousbfan]

SSooner, I think it's the meaning of what the players are always saying (iron sharpens iron)

[OUBeliever56A]

Most of the signals between the players when on base is something from the movie "Gladiator'. Crossing of the arms with other gladiators, picking up the dirt from the arena when they enter, iron sharpens iron and several more I am forgetting about. The theme from the movie is that is them against all others. That they are sisters who will have each others back. That they win as one and are accountable to each other. They seem to provide a different take on the theme each year.

[inconnu]

I like the arms crossing deal a lot better than shooting the arrows. They oughta stick with the crossed arms...or maybe a thumb on the nose with the razzing gesture.

[TropicalSooner]

I always kinda liked them picking up the dirt and sifting through their fingers

[inconnu]

I always kinda liked them picking up the dirt and sifting through their fingers

I wouldn't be surprised if all those cute gestures did nothing but PO the opponents. Maybe that's a good thing. Could get them distracted.

[47Straight]

Thanks for the report 56. I always enjoy you stuff. I'm going down to Lubbock tomorrow to see the Friday and Saturday games. It will be the first time I've seen OU softball play in person. Looking forward to it.