© NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY
OU Softball: Oklahoma Ace Kelly Maxwell Silences No. 4 Texas in Series Opener
Oklahoma left-hander Kelly Maxwell struck out 10 batters in a dominant showing to beat Texas.
AUSTIN, TX — Kelly Maxwell has been virtually un-hittable in her last two outings.
She came one batter shy of throwing a no-hitter against Kansas last weekend, and she dominated No. 4 Texas’ lineup for six innings on Friday.
Maxwell opened up the Red River Rivalry in style at Red & Charline McCombs Field, holding the Longhorns without a hit for 4 2/3 innings, keeping the Texas fans firmly in their seats.
Oklahoma’s offense suffered no such struggles and the Sooners took the first game of the series 5-2.
Maxwell carried a 5-0 lead in the final frame and pitched a complete game but had to survive some seventh-inning tension after allowing two hits, two walks and two runs. But Tiare Jennings ended it when she took a hot ground ball with two out — off third baseman Alyssa Brito's glove — and threw out Katie Stewart at first for the final out.
WATCH: Texas coach Mike White, SS Viviana Martinez postgame press conference
WATCH: Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso, LHP Kelly Maxwell postgame press conference
“I thought Kelly threw one of her best games,” OU coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “Just in complete control. Her stuff was working really well. Stayed way ahead of counts. Really proud of that.
“… She looked in control. She looked like a boss.”
Maxwell finished the contest with a season-high 10 strikeouts, building off her nine-strikeout performance against Kansas last Thursday.
“(I’m) just working through what I’ve worked so hard with Coach (Jennifer) Rocha,” Maxwell said after the win. “Finding my routine and staying with it. Really just being in control on my tempo and my behalf. So really just feeding balls to the defense and letting them be behind me.”
OU extended its current winning streak to 16 games, improving to 35-1 overall on the year and 13-0 in conference play. Texas dropped to 29-6 in 2024 and 9-4 in Big 12 contests. It's also the Sooners' eighth win in a row over the Horns.
Maxwell struck out a pair of batters in the first three innings of the game, leaving her offense plenty of breathing room to hone in on Longhorn starter Mac Morgan.
Oklahoma put a runner aboard in each of the first two innings, but the Sooners’ hard-hit balls could’t find gaps in the Texas defense.
That trend turned in the third inning.
Cydney Sanders’ walk gave the Sooners a dangerous leadoff runner after Patty Gasso went to the bench and brought on true freshman Maya Bland to pinch-run for the OU first baseman.
Then Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen got the visitors rolling.
She singled through the right side on a ball that came close to ricocheting off Bland’s cleat, but the umpires saw nothing wrong and the freshman rounded second to arrive safely at third.
Rylie Boone hit the ball to virtually the same spot as Hansen, and it appeared OU would have a 1-0 lead. But Mike White challenged the play, contesting that Hansen left first base early, and the Texas coach was correct.
Bland was put back on third and Boone retuned to the batter’s box with one out. Undeterred, the OU right fielder beat out an infield single to turn the order over.
Jayda Coleman then lunged for a pitch well off the plate, singling into left field to officially plate Bland and put Oklahoma on top 1-0 and move Boone over to third.
OU’s third baseman, Brito, doubled the lead for the Sooners in the ensuing at-bat with a fly ball to the warning track in left field.
The approach at the plate for the Sooners was simple, and one that’s delivered fantastic results all throughout Big 12 play.
“Be aggressive,” Coleman said. “Get a pitch that you like to hit. Their pitchers are really good. They can paint both sides of the plate and just getting the pitch that you want and not falling into any traps. And I think that we did a really good job of doing that today.”
With Maxwell rolling, Oklahoma busted the game open in the fifth inning.
Boone beat Texas second baseman Alyssa Washington’s throw into first base, though Gasso had to challenge the play as Boone was initially called out, putting a pair of runners aboard for the Sooners with one out.
The challenge proved crucial.
Coleman crushed Morgan’s 2-2 delivery, rocketing a three-run blast to right field that sucked the life out of Red & Charline McCombs Field as everyone knew the ball was gone off the bat.
“Jayda taking that three-run blast over the right field fence really felt comforting,” Gasso said, “because you know what you’re gonna get from Texas and that is constant — they’re not gonna quit.
“Even if they maybe didn’t have their best offensive night, you know that they’re going to do something.”
Up 5-0, OU had a chance to push the game toward run-rule territory.
Brito’s popup was dropped in center field, and Jennings’ single put runners on the corners and forced White to make a pitching change.
Estelle Czech buckled down, however, inducing a pair of quick pop ups to get out of the fifth inning.
The strong relief appearance continued for Czech, as she retired the Sooners in order in the sixth and the seventh innings, but it didn’t matter.
Reese Atwood’s RBI-double gave Texas its first run of the day in the bottom of the seventh, and Leighann Goode walked with no outs, prompting a mound visit from Gasso.
Maxwell didn’t allow Texas to touch second base until the drama-filled seventh inning.
Gasso left her veteran in to close the game, even as the crowd behind the plate became a wall of noise pointed directly at Maxwell.
“I would say it’s probably one of the loudest I’ve ever heard,” Maxwell said. “Credit their crowd. They were really loud, and it was kind of hard to get through that but I’m grateful my defense was behind me.”
Oklahoma’s offense was excellent at both the top and the bottom of the order, as Coleman ended the game 2-for-4 at the plate and Boone finished 2-for-3.
The Sooners can clinch their 12th-straight series win over Texas Saturday. First pitch between the bitter rivals is slated for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
