OU Softball: Oklahoma Walks Off Liberty in Extra Innings
Oklahoma delivered the drama on college softball’s opening day.
The two-time defending National Champions were held at bay by the Liberty Flames, as the teams battled into extra innings at the Mark Campbell Invitational on Thursday night.
Patty Gasso’s high-powered offense stranded nine base runners through the first seven innings, meaning pitcher Nicole May would have to work around a runner starting on second in the top of the eighth as International Rules came into play for extra innings.
The veteran pitcher sat down the Flames in order, bringing the OU offense back to the plate with Jordy Bahl placed on second base to start the frame.
Finally, the Flames blinked.
OU third baseman Alyssa Brito laid down a bunt, and Liberty overthrew first base, allowing Bahl to round third and score the game’s only run.
The 1-0 win capped off a two victory day for the Sooners, having downed Duke 4-0 earlier on Thursday.
The throwing error made amends for Brito, who almost opened the scoring in the second inning.
Brito had a potential two-run home run robbed at the wall by Liberty center fielder Mary Claire Wilson, an omen for how the rest of the night would go for the Sooner bats.
Oklahoma’s offense appeared as if it was going to roar to life in the third inning.
Quincee Lilio and Jayda Coleman started the frame with back-to-back singles, allowing Tiare Jennings to step in with no outs.
After battling Liberty pitcher Karlie Keeney with an 11-pitch at-bat, Jennings popped the ball up into shallow right field. The defense behind Keeney let her down, however, as Jennings’ blooper dropped safely into the grass to load the bases.
But then Keeney shut the door.
Lilio was thrown out at home after OU catcher Haley Lee grounded a ball straight back to the pitcher and then Brito and Cydney Sanders chased strike three in back-to-back trips to the plate to end the Oklahoma threat and send the game scoreless into the fourth inning.
Keeney battled to deny the Sooners again in the fourth inning.
OU shortstop Grace Lyons appeared to beat a throw to first base, but the Sooner captain was ultimately called out by the first base umpire.
In the ensuing at-bat, Rylie Boone rocketed a dribbler to the left field wall, winding up at second base on a hit that surely would have plated Lyons.
Instead, the Sooners had to settle for the one-out double and get back to work.
A fielder’s choice from Alynah Torres and Lilio’s pop fly into foul territory down the left field line ended the inning, as Keeney was again able to navigate traffic on the bases.
In the top of the fifth inning, it was the Flames’ turn to threaten.
Liberty left fielder KK Madrey singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
Catcher Alexis Soto hit a slow-moving ball up the middle, but Lyons attacked it and was able to shovel the ball to Jennings, who tagged second and was able to rifle the ball to Sanders at first base to complete the double play and keep the Flames off the board through five innings.
Keeney again frustrated the Sooners in the sixth inning.
With runners on first and second, a fielding error by Flames’ catcher Alexis Soto allowed both OU runners to advance a base.
But Keeney struck out Torres and Lilio to strand the pair of OU runners and head to the seventh inning.
While Oklahoma’s offense struggled to capitalize, May cruised in the circle for the Sooners.
Allowing just four hits, May struck out 10 Liberty batters while only issuing two walks.
OU finished the game hitting just 1-of-9 with runners in scoring position.
No Sooner finished with more than one hit, but May’s work pitching meant Oklahoma didn’t pay for its offensive struggles.
Gasso’s group will be back in action Friday at 9:30 p.m. against No. 14-ranked Stanford.
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