OU Softball Fall Finale- OU wins in 2 1/2 innings- 7-1 over NCTC

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooners tried to finish their final Fall Ball game before the rain and the cold front moved through Norman, but the game was called after 2.5 innings due to potential severe weather in the area and accumulation of rain after the delay.

Things to note before the game.

Lyons (resting a shoulder) and Sanders (flu perhaps) were not in uniform but Lyons was at the game.
OF Drills - Players participating were Coleman, Boone, Coor, Green, Erickson, Lee and Torres. Bahl joined the group for a few balls later.
INF Drills - 3B/1B - Torres and Nugent. 2B/SS - Jennings, Lilio and Hodge.
Pitchers in drills - Storako, May, Deal, Geurin. (Storako did have an ankle wrap under her left shoes.)
In the Bullpen - Hansen and Bahl.
The Sooner lineup was as follows;

Coleman CF
Jennings SS
Hansen C
Lee DP
Brito 3B
Torres LF
Bahl P
Nugent 1B
Boone RF
Lilio 2B

In the top of the first the Sooners were greeted by NCTC with a first batter single off of Bahl on a late swing on a pitch up in the zone that somehow landed fair inside the right field line. Boone charged the ball well and almost threw the runner out at first on a good play by Boone. After a failed bunt attempt by the next NCTC batter, Bahl recorded her first K of the game. The next hitter for NCTC was their pitcher Tanguma. She was ready for Bahl's first pitch and hit a ball to LF just short of the warning track. There were two mistakes on the play. One - Bahl's pitch got too much of the inside-half of the plate and was about mid-thigh/waist. Tanguma did hit is well. Two - Torres in LF was too shallow on the play. she initially started back and to her left fairly well but mid-way to the ball she cross-stepped to her right mistakenly before the ball landed behind her and too her left. IMO, the fly ball should have been caught and I think many OU potential outfielders would have made the catch, especially if they started in the proper position on defense in LF. Maybe Torres would have also.

With runners on second and third after the play, on a 1-2 count after a couple of foul balls, the cleanup hitter hit a chopper to the right of Nugent at 1B. With the runners off of contact, Nugent and Lilio teamed up to get the out 3-4 with a run scoring and an RBI for the hitter. Bahl did jam the hitter inside on the pitch but the batter managed to hit it hard enough to plate the run. Bahl struck out the next hitter on a 1-2 count. NCTC led 1-0 after the first half inning.

Coleman led off the bottom of the second with a foul fly ball to LF that was count on a 1-2 pitch. After eight straight balls thrown to Jennings and Hansen, Lee got a second chance in her at bat. Lee lifted a high pop behind and to the left of home plate that was probably going to be caught by the NCTC catcher. But very late, the NCTC 3B called the catcher off and then hesitated to make the play as the ball hit the ground for a foul ball. Lee then hit a hard fly ball to LC that died at the wall for a double. Jennings and Hansen scored easily. One note here. Hansen worked her way towards 2B well to see if the ball was going to be caught before she read it correctly and took off. But she was still in a straight line between 1st and 2nd. If she would have moved out a couple of steps towards RF, Hansen could have cut the base at second better and decreased her curve towards 3B. Hansen still scored easily as she is running very well this fall. But she probably could have stood and not had to slide at home. OU leads 2-1 over NCTC.

Brito followed Lee's double with a very well hit HR that cleared the back fence just to the left of the batters eye. OU 4-NCTC 1. Torres followed with a medium fly ball to CF on a pitch on a pitch on the outside half for out #2. On the first pitch, Bahl hit a looping liner off the end of her bat to the right of the first baseman on the first pitch. The first baseman made a nice play to catch the ball for the final out of the inning.

The top of the second opened with a nice play by Brito on a ball hit down the third base line for the first out. Bahl followed with 2 Ks, the first on a 3-2 count and the second on a 1-2 count to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Nugent led off with a single as she hit a liner over the second baseman on a pitch that was ball probably outside of the plate. Boone then laid down a nice bunt for a single all the way. The late throw to first base was high though and got past the 2B covering the bag. Nugent moved to 3B on the errant throw. In the first pitch to Lilio, Boone stole second base as the catcher threw short to the 2B. I think that Lilio missed a sign on the next pitch to her as she swung through a pitch with Nugent taking a few aggressive steps down the line from 3B. Perhaps Coach Gasso wanted Lilio to get the ball down instead of swing through the ball with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Maybe there was no sign at all. On the pitch the catcher did throw behind Nugent who slide in safely at 3B. Lilio ended up hitting a hard single to RF that got under the glove of the RF on a short hop. Both Nugent and Boone scored easily with Lilio reaching 3B on the play. The play was ruled as a 3B by the scorer but it probably was more of a single with an error than a triple. Coleman followed with another bunt single out if front of the plate with Lilio scoring from 3B. Jennings then hit into a fielder's choice to SS, 6-4, for the first out of the inning. Hansen then walked again to move runners to 1st and 2nd with one out. Lee hit a medium fly ball to CF for out #2 before Brito grounded out to third for a force out 5U. OU led 7 to 1 over NCTC.

In the top of the third Bahl struck out the first batter. That ended her outing for the day. 2.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 5 Ks. (She did not get help on the fly ball to LF which allowed the run to score ultimately.) Storako was brought in to pitch the remainder of the 3rd. Erickson also moved to 1B for Nugent. She hit the second batter she face on a pitch with a 2-2 count. The batter took the pitch on her front arm and showed the effects of the powerful pitch from Storako. Storako struck out the next hitter on a liberal call of a 3rd strike by the home plate umpire. Storako uncorked a wild pitch during the next batter's at bat to move the runner to second base. On a 3-2 count after on foul ball, Storako got the final strike out of the game for the third out. Storako recorded 2 Ks and a HB in her 0.2 innings in the game.

The NCTC changed pitchers for the 3rd inning to a LH pitcher that had some velocity. After two pitches to Torres,, the severe weather alert was announced at the field. Play was suspended for 30 minutes. Later the game was stopped due to the amount of rain.

It was disappointing that the game could not be played/completed. The road trip for NCTC did not benefit them as much as it could have, And the Sooners needed the 7 other innings that they could have played.

I do not know if there was much to be determined in the 2.5 innings of play as a fan of the Sooners looking towards the Spring season. It is my impression that Brito has impressed defensively this fall as an infielder and at 3B. She also hit her first HR of the fall yesterday. Her HR raised the total number of Sooner players with a HR in the fall to `12 players. It will be interesting to see who walks out to 3B and LF in the first game on the Spring against Duke on February 9th. I think most everything else is set for the Sooner lineup. I always think it is interesting how that Jennings looks to be the second choice to play SS behind Lyons. I wonder how much that will show in the 2023-24 season for the Sooners.

Pitching wise, I thought Bahl pitched well. The leadoff single was an accident on a late swing. The 'double' should have been caught IMO and that would have kept NCTC off the scoreboard against Bahl and OU. I thought Storako threw well and did not throw many of those 'humpback' pitches and the one or two she threw were well located. I watched Deal throw in the bullpen before the game and I thought she was throwing hard in the pen. I think I sometimes forget that about Deal as I am impressed with her control and location.

Not much else to say about the game. Going into the Spring season, I would like to see these things be true;

- a fully healthy Grace Lyons take the field against Duke. (I think we will.)
- a Kinzie Hansen that will pay like it is 2021. (I think we will.)
- a two-some of Jennings and Sanders that will make us almost forget Alo-Jennings. (Admittedly that is tough.)
- a two-some of Coleman and Boone that fully progress to the wonderful offensive and defensive players that they are. (That would be a dynamic 9-1 batting order.)
- a settled 3B-LF combo or maybe a trio of players that play well to complete the Sooner lineup. (Will that be Brito. Torres, Lilio, Erickson, Bahl to make that true?)
- a talented Haley Lee fill the DP role with her best year of her career.
- a opportunistic Grace Green that takes advantage of those pinch-hits with a display of the power we know she has.
- an explosive Jordy Bahl in the circle throwing that dynamic pitch that moves away and up from a lefty hitter.
- a Storako throwing the ball past hitters swinging late.
- a combo of May and Deal that is the Sooners 'ace-in-the-hole' when needed the most.
- a bench of Nugent, Coor, Hodge and Geurin that are ready to play when asked and gain confidence and experience.

The first weekend in Irving, CA next February will be five games in 3 days that will require good play for a successful weekend. We will know a great deal about the Sooners after that first weekend.

Boomer Sooner!

[TropicalSooner]

I was really frustrated at Mom Nature for her weather outburst. I don't think any of us got very much out of the game, but a couple of things that you mentioned above also spoke to me. I do hope Jordy has her curving riseball going out and away from leftys back. I don't think you mentioned her using it in the game. That's probably not the correct term for it, but you know what I mean.
I was glad Storako got to pitch 2/3s of an inning. Except for the HBP she gave up, it sounds like she's throwing heat for strikes. I think she will be a really valuable piece to the pitching staff in view of the difficulty of our upcoming schedule.

Also, I don't think I am comfortable with Torres in the outfield. I realize we need her bat. All three years she was at ASU she was their starting SS. A move to 3B (or even 2B if Jennings moves) seems more efficient for her talents to my unaided eye.
On the error you mentioned above, I think Coleman, Boone, and Coor make that catch every day of the week. Heck, probably Green and Brito make that catch. But I'm not sure it the right spot for Torres.

Well written recap '56, always a pleasure to read.