Another hit According to the announcer The Oklahoma Softball head coach has name another..
In front of 4,528 in attendance at Love’s Field, OU’s senior day celebration for the squad that has already brought the Sooners three-straight national titles and an NCAA record 73-game win streak was full of excitement. Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso spoke with the media after the senior day activities.
NORMAN – Oklahoma avoided the sweep and won second place in the Big 12 with an 8-2 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon.
In front of 4,528 in attendance at Love’s Field, OU’s senior day celebration for the squad that has already brought the Sooners three-straight national titles and an NCAA record 73-game win streak was full of excitement. Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso spoke with the media after the senior day activities.
“We needed it,” Gasso said of the Sooners offensive surge. “We had two rough days that were very uncharacteristic of who we are and how we play. Today felt really good, much more like us. Timely hits, Karlie Keeney was excellent. Good defense, everything was working. The energy was different.
“We’re still trying to figure this out. There’s something about this stadium that it’s so beautiful that the noise can really – I don’t know. We have to really keep on working this out. Because it can really help you, or it can rattle you a little bit being with the big crowd and all the noise, but we’re still getting more used to living in this place. Really happy and proud of what they did today.”
Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso talks to the media after a Game 3 win over Oklahoma State on May 5, 2024. (Photo: JAMES D. JACKSON, 247Sports)
The Sooners showed some clear frustration after losing the series on Sunday. Third baseman Alyssa Brito was clearly upset, fighting back tears when speaking with the media. So the Sooners came out and showed their true form, with a big sixth-inning comeback to pull away from Oklahoma State on Sunday.
“What you saw was absolute frustration, knowing that we’re underachieving,” Gasso said. “And there’s just, like I said, when you have 10 guys that know this is it — and I’ve never had to deal with. I don’t know how to manage all of those feelings at one time. But there was a heavy mood on this team. It was quiet. Kind of heavy.
“And I don’t know if the Senior Day was hanging on them, I really don’t know. I don’t know that they would ever really tell me. They’re always like we’re good. We’re okay. We’re good. But there was something definitely different. But like I said, this was bigger than a win for us today was to see that we really are — now I know we are in a good place.”
Gasso said after Saturday’s loss that she wanted to see the Sooners’ pitching staff look a little tougher, and she got that with Keeney on Sunday. In her final regular-season start, she tossed 6.2 clean innings while scattering four hits and striking out three. The right-hander improved to 5-1 on the season and needed just 81 pitches to make 20 outs.
“It was probably the highlight of the game to us,” Gasso said, “because she’s just been sitting in the wings, and she’ll come in and, you know, fill in a hole here or there, but when we pulled her out, we thought, it’s time, because we haven’t let her go a full game. And then when KD got in trouble, the answer was bring her back in, and we’ll see what that looks like, and she handled it like a pro, so it just makes us feel really confident going forward that she’s ready to go in in the tough times.”
