OU Softball: Oklahoma Silences Record Oklahoma State Crowd to Open Bedlam
STILLWATER — Cydney Sanders only needed one game to announce herself to the Bedlam scene.
In her second ever at-bat against Oklahoma State, Sanders obliterated Kelly Maxwell’s delivery to erase the Cowgirls’ early lead.
The three-run shot was the third and final lead change to the day, as the top-ranked Sooners outpaced OSU 8-3 Friday night at Cowgirl Stadium.
Not only did the win move OU one step closer to clinching the series win over its in-state rivals, it extending the Sooners’ winning streak to 39 games and 47-1 on the year.
The loss compounded OSU’s late-season struggles, dropping the No. 7-ranked Cowgirls to 41-11.
Right out of the gate, the Sooners looked to pour it on.
"Big for us," OU coach Patty Gasso said after the game. "It was a fun game."
Maxwell struggled with her control in the first inning, falling behind 3-0 to both Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings to start the game.
OU drew three walks, plating the first run of the game, but Grace Lyons flew out to right field to strand the bases loaded.
Maxwell needed 40 pitches to work through the inning and feel out the strike zone, something Sooner right-hander Jordy Bahl would soon experience.
Bahl issued a pair of walks herself in the bottom of the first, and Cheyenne Factor punished her for the free passes with a three-run shot to hand the Cowgirls a 3-1 lead.
Factor’s home run broke a streak from Bahl where she hadn’t allowed a run in 10 appearances.
With work to do in the top of the second inning, Oklahoma’s offense got back at it.
Rylie Boone singled through the right side, and two batters later Coleman was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
Jennings grounded into a fielder’s choice, but Sanders cashed in the runs with her two-out bomb to put OU up 4-3.
"She is feeling good," Gasso said of Sanders. "Having fun playing again. And I told her just learn a valuable lesson because you can’t always be at your best.
"And so her struggles lasted a while. But where she is now, she’s feeling really great."
Not only did Sanders' home run give the Sooners back the lead, but it silenced the record crowd of 1,602 gathered inside Cowgirl Stadium.
"It was really, really important for us," Gasso said. "I think that one that it came at a timely point in the game, but two that it came for her. And that’s what everybody is rooting for, that young lady that has been working really hard to get her groove on.
"And so yeah, I think everybody rallied around that."
From there, Bahl took over.
Starting with the final out of the first inning, Bahl retired eight consecutive OSU batters, sucking the life out of Cowgirl Stadium.
"It started out very competitive and I think both pitchers had a little problem finding the strike zone," Gasso said. "Unorthodox by both pitchers, but I’m really proud of Jordy the way she came back.
"Scoring early was important for us and then scoring often. One thing I loved about this team tonight is after Oklahoma State took the lead they came and got it right back. So I was really proud that."
Alynah Torres added to the lead in the fifth inning.
The Sooner right fielder popped a ball perfectly between OSU second baseman Rachel Becker and right fielder Katelynn Carwile, converting Lyons’ double into a run.
Coleman wore another pitch to load the bases, but Jennings and Sanders couldn’t extend the lead any further than 5-3.
The fifth inning was the second time the Sooners left the bases stranded, and it brought OU’s total of runners left on base to 10.
Alyssa Brito added some insurance in the top of the sixth.
The Sooner third baseman annihilated a softball well beyond the stands in left field. The sixth-inning bomb was home run No. 13 for her this season, tying her with Coleman for the lead on the team, and put OU up 6-3.
Factor tried to start a rally with a double in the bottom the sixth, but Bahl quickly shut the door and worked around the baserunner to send the game to the seventh.
Jennings extended the lead again in the seventh with an RBIsingle that brought Sophia Nugent home from second, but it was only the start of OU's seventh inning.
Two batters later, pinch hitter Jocelyn Erickson doubled into the left field gap to plate Jennings and push Sanders to third, bringing the Sooner lead to 8-3.
Bahl didn't need the extra help, as she quickly closed the game out.
The right-hander struck out eight Oklahoma State batters, allowing five hits and three walks in a full game's work.
Sanders continued her good night at the plate after launching the go-ahead bomb, finishing 3-for-5.
Despite the victory, there is still room for improvement for the Oklahoma offense.
OU left 14 runners on base, and after getting looks at Maxwell, Lexy Kilfoyl and Ivy Rosenberry in the circle for the Cowgirls, the Sooners can still be more efficient.
"The good news is we’re getting on. It’s hard to square up these pitchers," Gasso said. "So am I shocked? Not really. But that is a little bit much for us. Those are runs that need to be pushed across the plate.
"So those are things we got to work on. But the fact that we’re getting on that much is the way I would look at it."
The series will carry on with Game Two on Saturday at 4 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
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