I tried to tune in on the Franchise internet radio, but it says "An internal error has occurred." The game was scheduled to start 6 minutes ago.
I found another way to receive it.(I originally clicked on the Franchise 2 links on the OU softball schedule from soonersports.com, which had the error message) That error message never happened before by accessing the broadcast that way.
The Oklahoma Sooners handled UT-Arlington on Wednesday night in front of a pretty good crowd on Wednesday night. The listed attendance was 4,357.
Karlie Keeney got the assignment to start in the circle for Oklahoma. The UT-Arlington lineup was stacked at the top with their better hitters and it helped in the first inning. Their leadoff hitter hit a ball down the LF line that Brito fielded on her knees. Her throw to first was a little inside the bag and Sanders had to stretch a long ways to catch. The 1B umpire ruled that Sanders was off the bag as she caught the ball on a close play at 1B. From my vantage point, Sanders was off the bag about an inch as she stretched. From the vantage point of a fellow fan, the ball was going to be foul in front of the bag if Brito would not have played the ball. I will say it is hard to know as a 3B when that is true. Tough play that was ruled a hit. The second UT-A hitter singled to CF moving runners to 1st and 2nd. The third hitter laid down a nice bunt that Keeney had to field. By the time Kenney got to the ball, I don't think a good throw would have gotten the batter at first base. The resulting bad throw went down the line into RF as a runner scored from second base with the runners staying on first and second as Boone got to the ball quickly and threw to 3B. Keeney was a bit lucky against the hitter who hit a line drive almost right at Sanders at 1B. Sanders caught the ball and stepped on 1B to complete the timely double play. Keeney got the final out of the inning on a ground ball to SS. But UT-Arlington led 1-0.
Against Moreno, UT-A's 4th pitcher with a 6.46 ERA, Oklahoma opened with a hard single to 3B by Coleman that bounced off the fielder and out towards 2B. Parker hit into a FC and replaced Coleman at first base. Parker then stole 2B before Jennings popped up to 1B and Pickering flied out to LF to end the first inning.
Keeney tossed a 1, 2, 3 inning with a ground, fly and ground out.
In the bottom of the second Oklahoma got on the scoreboard quickly. Brito reached first on an error by the SS. Sanders flew out to LF. Alynah Torres crushed a HR to CF into the greenery in CF for a 2-run HR. with only 1 earned. Boone singled to the pitcher on a nice bunt if my memory is correct. Ludlam then popped up to 3B for the second out of the inning. Coleman then singled hard down the RF line on a line drive that got by the RF for an error on Coleman's single. With the ball headed towards the wall, Coleman headed to 2B and then on to 3B as Boone scored. As the RF's throw was long as it reached the infield, the ball went into short left field. Boone scored and Coleman followed her for a little league inside-the-park HR with two errors. Oklahoma led 4-1 with only 1 earned run so far.
Parker then singled up the middle by the second base player. Jennings walked before Pickering walked to load the bases. Brito unloaded the bases quickly on a deep HR down the LF line that landed in the upper bleachers for a grand slam HR for 4-RBIs and an 8-1 Oklahoma lead. UT-A then replaced Moreno with Bumpers with her 6.24 ERA. Moreno only gave up 1 earned run.
Sanders walked as the first batter against Bumpers. Torres followed with her 2nd 2-run HR of the game to LF to make it 10-1. Boone added a double to LC before Ludlam walked. Nine Sooners had reached base after two outs in the inning with Ludlam's walk. A ground ball force out by Coor (hitting for Coleman) ended the inning.
Keeney returned to the circle for the Sooner and retired the 9-hole hitter on a ground ball to SS to Hodge. OU made wholesale changes in the field in the top of the 3rd inning. Corona, the UT-A leadoff hitter, bunted her way on to first. For the second time, the Sooners did not cover the bunt well, IMO. That is an important thing as the Sooners prepare to play Baylor this weekend. Baylor plays a lot of small ball and OU needs to be ready for that. Franklin then singled for her second hit to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Keeney then got a 5-4 force out and a ground ball back to herself for the final two out of the inning. That was the night for Keeney. She pitched 3.0 innings allowing 4 hits, 1 run (unearned) with 0 walks and 0 Ks.
UT-A changed pitchers for the 3rd inning bringing in Gutierrez (LHP) with her 6.03 ERA. Parker said hello as she singled to CF. Lilio stroked a double to LC that moved Parker to 3B. Pickering lofted a SFLY to CF to make the score 11-1. Hodge walked before Sanders and Torres flied out to CF to end the inning,
In the top of the 4th, SJ Geurin got the call to enter the circle for OU. The first hitter to face Geurin lofted a deep fly ball to CF that Coors tracked back to the warning track but jumped a bit early as she tried to make a catch along the wall. The ball ticked off her glove as she was coming down and bounced off the wall for a double. It was not an easy play, but it was a play that probably should be made (I think Coor would say that too.) and maybe needed to be made by Coor as a defensive-talented outfielder. It was the first EBH that Geurin has given up as a Sooner. Geurin settled down and got the next three hitters on a popup to 2B, a swinging strikeout, and a ground ball to SS.
In the bottom of the fourth, Oklahoma added one more run as Bland singled to open the inning. Ludlam popped up to 2B before Coor doubled to Rc to move Bland to 3B. Parker then grounded out to 2B that plated Bland to make it 12-1. Parker then stole her second base of the night as she moved to 2B. (This ws not in the play-by-play but was listed in the box score and in the new total stats for OU after the game. The stolen base was Parker's 10th of the season out of 11 tries. Parker becomes the only Sooner outside of Coleman to have 10 stolen bases in a season since Grace Green had 10 in her freshman season in 2019. In 2018, Caleigh Clifton and Nicole Mendes had 13 stolen bases. I knew Parker was a 5-tool player, but I did not realize the 'speed tool' was this good. The inning ended after her stolen base on a strikeout.
Paytn Monticelli pitched the top of the 5th as she had a 1, 2, 3 inning on to ground ball outs and a swinging strikeout to end the game.
On offense the Sooners were 12 for 24 at the plate with 11 RBIs and 12 runs. They picked up 5 walks to their 1 strikeout. They hit 3 doubles and 3 HRs and had a SFLY and 2 stolen bases.
In the circle OU allowed 5 hits in 5 innings with 0 walks and HB and 2 Ks. They allowed one double and committed one error to make the single run scored an unearned run.
Every stat category improved for the Sooner except the hits per inning, the BAA and the Ks per inning for the Sooner pitchers. Despite the error that OU had, their fielding% remained at .985 but it did go down slightly.
It was a solid win for the Sooners over UT-A.
The Sooners are 28-1 and will be getting ready for the Baylor Bears who come to OKC and Norman for a 3-game series on Friday at Hall of Fame Field in OKC and at Love's Field on Saturday and Sunday.