Softball Live Blog: No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 4 Texas Clash in Crucial Series Finale on Sunday

Patty Gasso's top-ranked Sooners are looking to avoid their first Big 12 series defeat since dropping a pair of games to Missouri in 2011 after No. 4 Texas beat OU 2-1 on Saturday night.

AUSTIN, TX — Ryan Chapman offers his real-time observations from Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin as Patty Gasso’s top-ranked Sooners look to avoid their first Big 12 series defeat since 2011 after No. 4 Texas upset Oklahoma 2-1 on Saturday night. Just keep the browser open and refresh often for Chapman’s updates throughout today's contest.

3:06 p.m.

OU got just a single from Tiare Jennings in the top of the seventh, but dropped its first Big 12 series since 2011.

Read the whole game story here.

2:54 p.m.

The Sooners are down to their final three outs. Parker-Coleman-Jennings due up in the seventh. 

2:40 p.m.

Deal gets out of the inning. Huge for the Sooners as they search to string together a pair of hits to put another run on the board. 

2:34 p.m.

Bella Dayton gets a two-out triple and the crowd here in Austin is ready to explode. The fans believe they’re gonna see their Longhorns notch a series victory over the Sooners. 

Patty Gasso pulled Maxwell after the triple, bringing in Kierston Deal. 

2:26 p.m.

Kinzie Hansen’s two-out single amounts to nothing. 

This Oklahoma lineup is struggling to figure out Estelle Czech. Six outs to avoid a first Big 12 series loss since 2011 and first series loss to Texas since 2009.

2:14 p.m.

Free passes have come back to hurt OU’s pitchers this weekend. 

Maxwell hit Viviana Martinez with two outs, and Katie Stewart punished the Oklahoma veteran. 

She hit a home run off the top of the wall in left field, putting the Longhorns on top 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth.

Patty Gasso conference with the umpires. Only thing I can think of is if she wants a review for interference from the fans or Martinez leaving early. 

Review pretty clearly indicate there wasn’t interference out in left field as the fans dodged the homer. 

2:09 p.m.

Another wasted opportunity for Oklahoma. The Sooners were unable to do anything with Pickering’s leadoff walk, though Parker did reach with a two-out single. 

OU has been unable to convert any of the three walks its drawn so far in this one. 

2:03 p.m.

Alynah Torres fouled off six pitches before eventually grounding into a fielder’s choice, but that’s all Mike White needed to see from Kavan. 

He brings Estelle Czech out of the pen with two outs and a runner on first. 

1:51 p.m.

Jayda Coleman continues to dazzle in her final season. 

She just scooped a ball off the wall to end the third inning. Would have at least been a two-out double for Joley Mitchell. Mike White wants a review, and he’ll get it. 

Call stood after a quick review. Even if it had been overturned, it was incredible work by Coleman to even get to the wall and make the play. But of course she hauled it in. 

1:43 p.m.

Oklahoma put some pressure on Kavan after Parker’s home run. Coleman drew a walk and Brito singled, but Hansen flew out and Boone popped up to end the inning. 

Huge for Texas there to avoid needing to bring Estelle Czech or another arm in. Mike White probably wants Kavan to at least make it through OU’s order one more time before changing things up on the Oklahoma lineup. 

1:36 p.m.

Not Rylie Boone in the 9-hole today, but still a major impact. 

Ella Parker crushed Kavan’s 1-1 pitch into the last row of the bleachers to put the Sooners on top 1-0.

1:33 p.m.

A walk and three strikeouts for Maxwell there in the second inning. The last two rooted both Longhorn batters as they watched it fly by for strike three. 

Parker-Coleman-Jennings slated to get things rolling for OU in the third. 

1:22 p.m.

A shame Pickering froze on second base in the first inning yesterday. Outside of that mental error, she’s had a really good series. Smoked a double off Kavan to give Oklahoma a runner with one out.

But Kavan looked unbothered and she worked out of the inning with a grounder and strikeout.

Scoreless headed to the bottom of the second. 

1:15 p.m.

Kelly Maxwell picked up right where she left off on Friday. 

Pair of strikeouts, including an inning-ender against Texas star Reese Atwood. 

Mia Scott did come through with a two-out single, so no need to track a no-hitter today. 

1:07 p.m.

Alyssa Brito reached with a two-out walk, but Kinzie Hansen struck out to end the top of the first. 

Strong first frame for freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan. 

Now it’s over to Kelly Maxwell for the Sooners. 

12:45 p.m.

We wondered what the early appearance from Kierston Deal would mean for OU’s pitching decision on Sunday. The answer? Kelly Maxwell. 

The Oklahoma ace gets the ball for Game 3.

OU’s lineup:

Coleman - Jennings - Brito - Hansen - Boone - Pickering - Sanders - Torres - Parker 

12:35 p.m.

Perfect weather day for this Red River rubber match. 

Virtually no wind, sunny and 74 degrees. Not as humid as yesterday too, so perhaps better conditions for home runs. 

A bit of a late arriving crowd for Texas today, but expect Red & Charline McCombs Field to be rocking again as the Longhorns try and notch a series win over OU for the first time since 2009.