OU Softball: How Oklahoma Overcame Both UCLA and Its Own Problems to Advance in WCWS

OKLAHOMA CITY — Just what Oklahoma needed.

Another win, of course. That’s the big one. The Sooners beat UCLA 1-0 on Friday in a second-round matchup at Devon Park, two top-shelf programs standing in the center of the ring going toe-to-toe like a couple of hungry heavyweights.

“It felt like two heavyweights going back and forth,” OU coach Patty Gasso confirmed. “This was one of those good old-fashioned pitching duels. It’s fun, but — ugh.”

But the No. 2-seed Sooners also got another close win — it doesn’t get any closer than 1-0 — when they weren’t necessarily at their best.

A solo home run by Tiare Jennings was the only time anyone crossed the plate. OU managed just four hits and had some defensive miscues, including a painful popup off Alynah Torres’ face.

But pitcher Kelly Maxwell was up to the challenge.

Maxwell said she had an “eye-opening meeting” with head coach Patty Gasso in the morning — “faith-based,” she said — and that and Jennings’ home run was all Oklahoma needed.

“This was an important game for both of us,” Gasso said, “and Kelly decided to throw one of the best games of her life today.”

An uncharacteristic error in the first inning, an infield fly that knocked Torres out of the game, a shocking bad throw by Kinzie Hansen — the Sooners made plenty of strong defensive plays, but weren’t necessarily at their best.

All of which was just fine.

Gasso has spoken often about the value in winning close games — the ability to display grit, to perform in clutch moments, to overcome self-imposed adversity — as opposed to the all-too-frequent run-rules that everyone enjoys but really provide little intrinsic value.

Oklahoma did exactly that for seven full innings — which will play well when the Sooners reconvene Monday at their home away from home, the former USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, and will continue to produce rewards if they return to the championship series next week in position to win their unprecedented fourth consecutive national championship.

“The saying of, ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’ is true,” Gasso said. “It really is true.”

Maxwell’s pitching — season-high 11 strikeouts, three to end an inning, four with runners on base (UCLA was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position) — was the key. So was Jennings’ home run.

But so were great defensive plays by Torres at second base, Cydney Sanders at first, Alyssa Brito at third, Rylie Boone in right field and Kasidi Pickering in left.

“We've been doing that throughout the season at times when our offense has been a little stale,” Gasso said. “Our defense will come up and make big plays. Our pitchers will make big competitive pitches. Today, our defense did a really nice job.

“Defense is important. You're lucky if you're going to beat UCLA with two of three.”

Every inch, every margin, every play became magnified when the prolific OU lineup was scratching together just three singles against the UCLA staff to go with Jennings’ big ball.

“Our game plan was a little off,” Gasso admitted, “but they (UCLA pitchers) were tough. They move the ball really, really well.”

OU didn’t win the Big 12 regular season title for the first time in forever. They dropped regular-season conference series to top-seed Texas as well as Oklahoma State. They also lost this year to Louisiana and BYU.

But something feels different for this Oklahoma team coming out of Saturday — different, and yet the same.

“Right now, we aren’t the No. 1 seed,” Gasso said. “We’re just rolling like we know how. I don’t even know how to explain it.

“It's just they're so comfortable and confident in this setting.”