Sooner Softball on Friday: A Tale of the #2 - Starts with 2 wins

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The number '2' was pretty prominent on Friday at the Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC. The first '2' to consider was that it was almost 'too' cold to play. But the sunshine helped a great deal and the day was playable as four games were completed.

In the first game for the Sooners, they played an unheralded team Weber State. But Weber State was perhaps a larger challenge than what I thought. The key was that the Sooners scored enough in TWO innings to win the game 9-1 in 5 innings. To their credit, Weber State did send their best pitcher (era-speaking) to the circle to face OU. Finch, who had a 3.72 ERA pitched fairly well until the 3rd inning. Finch limited the Sooners to '2' hits thru the first 'two' innings. But in the third inning the Sooners struck for 4 runs on '2' big hits with TWO outs. After a well place single between the first and second basemen by Quincee Lilio, the Sooners moved her to second base after a sac bunt and ground out. After a walk by Tiare Jennings, with those TWO outs, Kinzie Hansen on the eighth pitch of her at bat with a 3-2 count stroked a hard line drive to the left of the SS that got all the way to the wall to plate both Lilio and Jennings for the first '2' runs of the game. Brito, hitting after Hansen, on a 2-0 count, crushed a HR to CF for a '2-run' HR for '2' more runs to make the score 4-0 on the 'TWO-out' rally by the Sooners. A fly out to CF ended the rally but Oklahoma lead 4-0 thru 3 innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Sooners had '2' singles but did not score against the second Weber State pitcher. In the bottom of the fifth, TWO innings after scoring in the 3rd inning, in the bottom of the fifth leading 4-1, the Sooners scored again. With one out, Brito hit her 'second' HR of the game, a '2-run' shot to LC that plated Jennings that had singled to lead off the inning to make the score 6-1. After a single by Alynah Torres, a walk by Cydney Sanders and a line drive out by pinch-hitter Green for the second out of the inning, Grace Lyons in her first at bat back in her return to the lineup, singled to load the bases to extend the inning. Jayda Coleman 'doubled' to the outfield wall plate all three runners to make the score 9-1. That was the ball game as OU run-ruled Weber State 9-1 with their 'second' '2' out rally in the fifth.

Kiersten Deal was the Sooner starting pitcher against Weber State. Deal pitched the first TWO innings as she gave up '2' hits and '2' walks but she only allowed 1 run to Weber State as the leadoff hitter pulled a pitch down the RF line that barely cleared the wall and hit the foul/fair pole for a HR. It was the '2'nd HR this year that Deal has allowed. Deal face 10 hitters in her '2' innings. She pitched her way to '2' strikes against 8 of the hitters she faced. She did strike out '2' batters in each inning she pitched with all swinging Ks.

Deal gave way to Alex Storako to start the top of the third for the Sooners. Storako struck out the first hitter she faced. The 'second' hitter 'doubled' to CF passed Coleman as the ball hit the wall in the air. Storako then re-asserted herself as she struck out the next '2' hitters to end the inning.

The top of the fourth with the Sooners finally leading 4-1, Grace Lyons entered the game to play SS with Jennings moving over to 2B. It seemed that all at once again good in 'Sooner-world'. Storako struck out the side in the inning. In the top of the 5th, the first '2' outs were recorded by Lyons at SS on TWO pretty good plays. the first was a short grounder that Lyons made look easy. The 'second' ball was sharply hit up the middle that Lyons quickly got to and made a quick strong throw to first to get the speedy leadoff hitter for Weber State. Vintage G3! Storako struck out the final hitter of the innings.

Jennings, Brito and Torres each had '2' hits. Brito had '2' '2-run' HRs and Hansen had a '2-run' double to lead the Sooner offense with Coleman's 3-run double ending the game. The Sooners were 12 of 25 at the plate with '2' doubles and '2' HRs. The 'duo' of Deal and Storako totalled 11 Ks in five innings with Storako picking up the win. They tossed 57 strikes in their 86 pitches for 66.3% strikes.

Against the Northwestern Wildcats, the Sooners won the game 2-1. Northwestern pitched Danielle Williams against Auburn in their earlier game on Friday. Northwestern sent Boyd to the circle to face OU. Boyd was '2-2' on the season with a 2.80 ERA. She was bale to keep the Sooners off-balanced and looking at quite a few strikes. Boyd limited th Sooners to '2' hits with 1 walk and 3 K's in her five innings of work. The only run that Boyd allowed was a solo HR to Grace Lyons in the bottom of the '2nd' inning on the 9th pitch if the at bat with a '2-2' count.

Meanwhile, Nicole May was in the circle for the Sooners. May demonstrated her 'cold as ice' demeanor in the circle in the top of the first inning. With '2' outs on ground balls to G3, NW'ern singled and doubled on TWO consecutive hits to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Ms. May struck out the fifth batter of the inning on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat. May struck out her 'second' strikeout before a walk that was followed by '2' fly outs to the CF Coleman to end the second inning. May tossed 1,2,3 innings in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th innings. May had 7 strikeouts in those four innings.

With the Sooners leading 1-0 in the bottom of the 6th, Jayda Coleman leadoff with a line drive down the RF line that allowed Coleman to open up the Ferreri to top speed as she slide in head-first at 3B for a triple. It was her 'second' hit of the game. Jennings, on a '0-2' count hit a fly ball to RF for a SAC FLY to plate Jayda and put the Sooners up '2-0'. That 'second' run did end up being huge.

In the top of the 7th, May took her place in the circle. She had pitched 49 innings in 2023 without giving up a run. The first pitch to NW'ern hitter Cady, was hit very hard on a line drive trajectory right at Coleman in CF. The ball just kept carrying and it cleared the wall by about 3 or 4 feet for a solo HR. The tail-off of the ball probably kept Coleman from trying to catch the ball in a sure-fire "SportsCenter" moment. Okay, the score is now 2-1, nobody out. May went to work again, 'cold as ice'. She got a very high popup from the next batter that ended up still in the left handed hitters batter's box. May, Brito and Erickson was near the ball, but Nugent finally stepped up and made the catch as she almost stumbled over the bat. Their is probably no way the ball should have been played by Nugent, but she made the play. May then struck out her 10th batter of the game looking at the 3rd strike. The game ended on a '2-2' count with the batter hitting a foul popup to LF that Boone caught easily.

'Two' wins on the day for the Sooners as they moved to 24-1 on the season. The Sooners had 'TWO' dominant pitching performances by Storako and May. The Sooners had a host of 'TWOs' that lead the offense as the Sooners were 15 for 45 while scoring 11 runs as the Sooners scored in 'TWO" innings in 'both' games.

It was very good to see Grace Lyons back in the lineup and her playing SS. She looked very good on Friday with 'TWO' hits and scored '2' runs with a HR.

The Sooners will play Weber State against today at 4 PM and then Auburn at 6:30 PM.

I hope that the Sooners give Deal another start today against Weber State to see what perhaps she learned from Friday's start. I think that Bahl is likely to get the start against Auburn in the late game. But I could see Bahl and Storako starting the two games today. Cydney Sanders started both games yesterday at 1B and she was 1 for 4 with a single. It will be interesting to see if that continues today. Lee and Hansen both got nicked up behind the plate yesterday. It will be interesting to see who catches today.

Here is the staff writers article about the 'TWO' wins for the Sooners.

https://soonersports.com/news/2023/3/17 ... of-classic

Good luck to the Sooners today.

Boomer Sooner!