WEEK 6 SOONER SOFTBALL REPORT: As good as they've looked all season
The Skinny
In the second game of Oklahoma’s three-game series against Iowa State last weekend, Nicole May allowed two runs in the first inning, the big hit a double from Alesia Ranches plating Angelina Allen and Tiana Poole.
That was it.
Want to poke holes in the Sooners’ perfect 4-0 week that began with a 9-0 run-rule over Texas A&M-Commerce and ended with a Cyclone sweep? Go right ahead, but that’s all you’ve got to work with.
Otherwise, OU was fantastic.
In the circle, Kelly Maxwell emerged from a couple un-Maxwell-like outings to toss OU’s second seven-inning complete game of the season, shutting out Iowa State 4-0, allowing four hits, three walks and striking out eight. That and Kierston Deal continued her mound mastery, making it five straight appearances and 22 consecutive innings without allowing a run.
At the plate, the Sooners exploded, raising their collective batting average six points, their on-base percentage seven points a their slugging percentage a whopping 44 points.Â
Scroll down for the precise numbers.
Indeed, though OU took its first loss in forever two weekends ago to Louisiana, it would appear they’ve not been any stronger this season than they are right now.
That can’t hurt entering this weekend’s three-game tussle with Texas Tech, for the Red Raiders, who took two of three at BYU over last weekend, raising their season mark to 19-5, may be legit.
Though unranked, the Raiders split two games at Texas State, the No. 24 team in Softball America’s new top 25; won five straight including two from Big Ten Minnesota during a five-game get-together at North Texas; took then-fourth-ranked Florida State to the limit, only falling 9-8 only after the Seminoles struck for two runs in the bottom of the seventh; not to mention a victory over Tulsa, an NCAA regional regular.
Entering its doubleheader against New Mexico today, Tech was slashing .316/.386/.542. Not in OU’s stratosphere, but not bad.
The Raiders ought to have all kinds of motivation, too, for they should to be playing the No. 1 team in every national poll.
Only Softball America updated its top 25 on Monday and the Sooners were on top after Texas dropped a game in its first conference series at Houston. LSU, still the nation’s only unbeaten team, dropped in at No. 2.Â
The Schedule
Last week
— def. Texas A&M Commerce 9-0 (5 innings)
— def. Iowa State 4-0
— def. Iowa State 11-2 (5 innings)
— def. Iowa State 14-1 (5 innings)
This week
— vs. Tarleton State, 4:30 p.m. today
— vs. Tarleton State, 6:30 p.m. today
— at Texas Tech, 6 p.m. Friday
— at Texas Tech, 1 p.m. Saturday
— at Texas Tech, noon, Sunday
Record: 22-1
Streak: Won 4
Numbers
Entering last week
Games: 19
Batting average: .382
On-base percentage: .466
Slugging percentage: .661
Earned run average: 1.39
Strikeouts/innings pitched: 114/116
Fielding percentage: .986
Errors: 7
Unearned runs allowed: 6
Entering this week
Games: 23
Batting average: .388
On-base percentage: .473
Slugging percentage: .705
Earned run average: 1.32
Strikeouts/innings pitched: 143/138
Fielding percentage: .988
Errors: 7
Unearned runs allowed: 6
Leaders
Batting average: Kasidi Pickering .456 (Ella Parker .440)
On-base percentage: Cydney Sanders .579 (Ella Parker .532)
Slugging percentage: Cydney Sanders 1.051 (Alyssa Brito .906)
Runs batted in: Tiare Jennings 25 (Alyssa Brito 22)
Home runs: Tiare Jennings 7, Alyssa Brito 7
Triples: Rylie Boone 1, Alyssa Brito 1, Avery Hodge 1
Doubles: Alyssa Brito 7 (Tiare Jennings 6)
Hits: Alyssa Brito 28 (Kasidi Pickering 26, Tiare Jennings 26)
Earned run average: S.J. Guerin 0.00 (6 1/3 IP)
Wins: Nicole May 7-0
Innings pitched: Kelly Maxwell 37 (Nicole May 32)
Strikeouts: Nicole May 39 (32 IP), Kelly Maxwell 39 (37 IP)
Notes on numbers
• Sanders bashing: Just about all of OU’s increased offensive slash numbers can be attributed to Cydney Sanders, who has come from nowhere to raise her batting average from .250 to .385 in the space of nine games, while flat taking over the team team lead with a 1.051 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage. The headline may be that she hit three home runs over two games in a single Saturday against the Cyclones, yet the better news is she’s looking again like the freshman phenom that lit up the nation two years ago at Arizona State. Alyssa Brito and Tiare Jennings aren’t slowing down, but Sanders is catching them.
• The .400 club: Kasidi Pickering his hitting .456, Ella Parker is hitting .440, Alyssa Brito is hitting .438, Rylie Boone is hitting .421, Jayda Coleman his hitting .410, Tiare Jennings is hitting .400 and the way Cydney Sanders is rolling, she may join them soon. That’s the whole note. Six of OU’s eight everyday players are hitting .400 or better. Ridiculous
• Circle stuff: Earned run average, unless there’s a problem with the official scorer, accurately portrays how effective a pitcher is against who she’s pitching against. By the same token, innings pitched tells you more about what a coach is thinking about her pitchers, and to that end, Kelly Maxwell has thrown five more innings than Nicole May, who has still thrown 5 1/3 more than Kierston Deal, while S.J. Guerin, the only one of OU’s six pitchers with a perfect 0.00 ERA, has nonetheless thrown less than everybody, 6 2/3 innings, after being inserted to get the Sooners’ final two outs against Iowa State last Sunday.
Diamond Notes
Tech’s chance/strategy
For the Raiders to put up a serious fight against the Sooners, they’ll need great pitching performances from Maddie Kuehl and Maddy Wright, who’ve combined to throw almost two-thirds of their innings. Keuhl’s tossed 56 2/3 and sport’s a 2.35 earned run average. Wright’s tossed 41 1/3 with an ERA of 2.03. No. 3 on the staff is former Sooner Olivia Rains, who’s thrown 35 1/3 with an ERA of 3.96.Â
Of course, Tech could choose to throw all three at OU, and the rest of its staff, too, even in the same game. A year ago, you may recall, in the first meeting between the teams, OU prevailed 3-0 while Tech threw six different pitchers one inning each.
Gasso’s choice
As mentioned above, Kelly Maxwell, whose earned run average is 1.70, highest on the team, appears to be option No. 1 on the Sooner pitching staff, followed by Nicole May and the streaking Kierston Deal. The weekend, though, could be interesting. Deal actually started two games last week, the mid-weeker against Texas A&M-Commerce and the final game against Iowa State. Perhaps she’s closing on May. This week, with five games, ought to offer more clues toward coach Patty Gasso’s thoughts on the staff. Gasso’s history suggests she’d like to stick with the experience of Maxwell and May, but how long can she keep Deal No. 3 if Deal keeps posting zeroes?
In the field
After a shaky turn in the field led to the Sooners’ first loss, they were excellent against the Cyclones, allowing no earned runs and committing no errors. One presumes Texas Tech will test them in Lubbock. The Red Raiders appear adept at putting the ball in play, striking out 88 times over 149 innings at the plate, or about once every two innings.
Until next time …