On a day she had to be masterful, Maxwell's mastery places her alongside past Sooner World Series greats
Thanks to her, Oklahoma has two chances to win one game to play for it all
Now she’s the staff ace.
Prior to Saturday afternoon, at Devon Park, in northeast Oklahoma City, site of the Women’s College World Series, well, maybe, but still …
Two pitchers, Kierston Deal and Karlie Keeney, who’ve thrown real innings, a combined 132 1/3 led by Deal’s 75 2/3, carried earned run averages better than hers, Deal’s at 1.62 and Keeney’s at 1.67.
Only two days earlier, getting the Sooners’ World Series opening start, she gave up only a run through 3 2/3 frames, yet was relieved by Deal because she wasn’t on her game, allowing just a hit and the run, but walking four and plunking one, creating too many dicy moments for coach Patty Gasso to leave her in the circle.
Perhaps the World Series was too much, as it was last season, when pitching for Oklahoma State she’d taken both losses, one to Florida State and the next to Tennessee, throwing just 4 1/3 innings, total.
Maybe that.
Or maybe not that.
Let’s go with not that.
Because, this time, Kelly Maxwell was spectacular, tossing Oklahoma to a 1-0 winners’ bracket victory over UCLA, handing the Sooners two chances to win one game on Monday and reach the World Series’ best two-of-three championship series.
More than spectacular, Maxwell was spectacular when she had to be, her first-year team scoring only a run, provided by Tiare Jennings’ 23rd home run of the season, and dang if ESPN didn’t show enough replays of Jennings’ low hands to finally gather which legend she swings a whole lot like: the great Henry Aaron, whose power resided in his forearms and wrists.
Check it out.
Of course, that was just one swing. Maxwell had things working the whole game.
She walked three, allowed only two hits, a single up the middle from Jordan Woolery in the fourth inning and an infield single up the middle from Megan Grant in the sixth.
She struck out 11.
Within that mastery, she absolutely manhandled two of the nation’s best hitters.
Maya Brady entered the World Series slashing .431/.515/.844 and Sharlize Palacios entered slashing .387/.488/.876, the two Bruins combining to club 37 home runs.
Saturday, they combined to go hitless in seven at bats and strike out five times, Brady suffering her first three-strikeout game in almost three full seasons, last suffering the fate against Oregon the eighth game of the 2021 campaign.
It was a performance reminiscent of iconic pitchers from the Sooners’ past, sparking memories of Jennifer Stewart, Keillani Ricketts, Paige Parker and Giselle Juarez at their very best.
ESPN field reporter Holly Rowe caught up to Maxwell, who called her performance a “10 out of 10.”
“We had a good game plan going in,” she said. “I was going for it and trusting it.”
She seemed to be enjoying it.
Never had her smile been bigger than when she finished chatting with Rowe.
“Kelly decided to throw one of the best games of her life today,” Gasso said. “There was no way we would be pulling her after the job she was doing.”
Fans may not remember, Sooner fans in particular, but Maxwell had done it before.
Not last season, when she wasn’t her best, but the year before when she also pitched as well as she ever had in her life on the World Series stage.
That was the season Oklahoma State found itself in the driver’s seat after two World Series opening victories, mostly attributable to Maxwell.
The opener, a 4-2 complete game victory over Arizona, she allowed five hits, walked two, hit two batters and struck out an amazing 14.
The next one, against Florida and similar to Saturday, she tossed a complete game shutout, allowing three hits and two walks — one fewer baserunner than she allowed the Bruins — and struck out nine in a 2-0 victory.
She later took the loss in an elimination game against Texas, though still threw well, allowing four hits and six runs, but just three earned in the wake of three Cowgirl errors, walking five and striking out 11, coming within an out of a third straight complete game.
The Pokes fell 6-5.
That was then.
Maxwell said she had a faith-filled conversation with Gasso before the game, one that seemingly allowed her to fully focus and get out or her own head all at the same time.
“God is good,” Maxwell said during the Sooners’ postgame interview session.
Whatever works.
Whatever keeps working, too.
She’s started both OU’s games thus far. She likely won’t start the next one, yet be in line for Monday’s second game, utterly rested, should the Sooners have to play it.
She’ll probably start the championship series opener, too, should OU get there.
She’ll get the chance all those past names got and delivered upon … becoming a huge part of the reason, maybe even the reason, her program claims another national championship.
It is her program.
“Just proud of this team,” she said on her way off the field, “and proud I made the decision.”
It appears to have been a good one.