OU Softball: Why Patty Gasso 'Does Not Regret' Oklahoma's Pitching Strategy Against Texas

NORMAN — Oklahoma almost gave the sweep away.

After building an 8-0 lead over No. 2 Texas on Sunday, the Sooners saw their Red River Rivals score eight unanswered runs to tie the contest.

Isabella Smith gave up a leadoff single in the third inning, and Patty Gasso changed the senior out for freshman Audrey Lowry.

“You may be wondering, but we really have to give our pitchers opportunities. And that’s what we did,” Gasso said after the win. “… I loved what Bella did. We wanted to give her one time through the lineup. We knew what we wanted to do so that you bite off a piece but not fill you up too much.”

Smith had retired nine of 10 batters Texas sent to the plate, and the switch to Lowry is when the game started to unravel.

The Longhorns quickly loaded the bases and dinged the freshman for five runs on four hits.

When Gasso and OU associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha decided they’d seen enough of Lowry, they didn’t immediately turn to Sam Landry.

Instead Paytn Monticelli was thrown into the fray, and Texas totaled a pair of hits off the right-handed flame thrower to cut OU’s lead to 8-6.

“Didn’t go exactly the way we wanted it to, but we knew how far we would go,” Gasso said. “I really wanted to see Paytn in there and Audrey – that’s something Coach Rocha really wanted to see that our pitchers get an opportunity.

“We need a staff going forward. It was a tough trial on them in a big atmosphere. But they had to feel that. And how to do that without nerves being in the way. That’s exactly what happens when you are locked in and just let things go and don’t get caught up in your outcome and what every pitch is doing. You trust your stuff and try to just clear it all out.”

Landry got OU out of the mess temporarily.

Texas slugger Katie Stewart tied the game with a home run off Landry in the fifth, and the Sooners struggled to wrestle momentum back.

“All of sudden it’s like (quiet),” Gasso said. “Like okay. We can’t worry about that. We’ve got to create our own momentum in our dugout.”

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas brought life back to the record crowd at Love’s Field with a leadoff walk in the sixth, and three batters later Isabela Emerling plated the decisive run with a sacrifice fly to ensure the No. 3-ranked Sooners escaped with the 9-8 win.

The Sooners escaped with the win and sweep, which will be crucial as OU tries to win the SEC regular season crown next weekend against Florida, but Gasso said she has no regrets with how her and Rocha managed the middle portion of Sunday’s contest.

“We do not regret bringing in these pitchers because they need this work,” Gasso said. “So proud of Sam closing and I loved what Bella did.

“… I’m proud of these guys. It’s a hard situation to be in and they fought through it.”