© BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY
OU Softball: Kelly Maxwell Dominates Again in Oklahoma's Victory Over BYU
The senior pitcher didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning of OU's run-rule win over BYU on Thursday night.
NORMAN — Oklahoma returned to the win column in Big 12 play on Thursday night.
Jayda Coleman busted the game open with a three-run homer in the second inning, propelling the Sooners to a 8-0 win in five innings over the BYU Cougars at Love’s Field.
Freshman outfielder Kasidi Pickering added a solo blast in the third inning, giving OU plenty of cushion to move to 37-3 on the year and 14-2 in Big 12 play, while the Cougars fell to 21-18 overall and 4-12 in their first year in the conference.
Final Box Score
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Kelly Maxwell, the birthday girl, got the start in the circle for Oklahoma and continued her dominant form.
The veteran left-hander didn’t surrender a baserunner until the fifth inning when a Lily Owens single broke up the no-hitter.
Maxwell allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out five Cougar batters in the win.
WATCH: Patty Gasso, OU Players Postgame Press Conference
Gasso loved what she saw out of Maxwell, who has allowed just eight combined hits in her last four starts spanning 23 2/3 innings.
“(Maxwell had) command,” OU coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “Early in the count, attacking early. You know if she gets 10 strikeouts or three strikeouts, as long as we keep the ball in play in the infield or our outfielders can run down anything.
“So if the ball is being kept in the yard I feel really good about our opportunities, our chances to win.”
Oklahoma’s offense had its first chance to strike in the first inning.
Catcher Kinzie Hansen dug into the batter’s box with Tiare Jennings on second and Ella Parker on first with two outs.
BYU starting pitcher Chloe Temples left the ball hanging over the plate, and Hansen roped the ball toward the gap in left-center field. Center fielder Violet Zavodnik got a great jump on the ball and raced over to make a great catch, potentially denying Hansen a pair of RBIs and ending the threat.
The Cougars weren’t so lucky in the second inning.
Alynah Torres walked and Hansen doubled, prompting BYU coach Gordon Eakin to make a pitching change.
Coleman welcomed reliever Alyssa Aguilar to the game by smashing her second pitch into the left field bleachers to put OU up 3-0.
Pickering added another run to Oklahoma’s advantage with a one-out laser in the third inning, but the Sooners couldn’t cash in on a pair of walks to further extend the lead in the third.
The OU freshman added another RBI to her tally when Pickering singled in the fifth inning to score Parker and put the Sooners on top 5-0.
Despite BYU’s revolving door of pitchers, Oklahoma dialed in on the Cougars’ offerings.
“It’s difficult when they keep throwing different pitchers at you,” Gasso said. “… You have to change your mindset. There’s something different coming at you every time you come to the plate. I think we did a good job of that.”
Cydney Sanders walked the game off with a three-run shot in the fifth inning, closing the book on the Sooners’ 19th run-rule victory of the season.
The home run snapped a slump for Sanders. The OU first baseman was hitless in her previous 12 at-bats dating back to Oklahoma’s series opener against Kansas, though she had drawn five walks.
“Yeah. There's that relief,” Sanders said after breaking the slump in home run fashion. “I’ve been getting on, it's just more of walks. It just feels good to get a hit sometimes though. I think that was like a very uplifting thing for me.”
OU and BYU will meet in Game 2 of the series on Friday at 6 p.m. at Love’s Field.
