Softball Live Blog: No. 1 Oklahoma Takes on No. 7 Washington at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
Ryan Chapman offers his real-time observations as the No. 1-ranked Sooners take on No. 7 Washington in OU's third game of the weekend from the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico. Just keep the browser open and refresh for Chapman's updates throughout the game.
11:25 p.m.
Alyssa Brito.
Ballgame.
What a comeback.
11:20 p.m.
I was never good at math anyways.
Coleman flies out. Three outs away for the Sooners.
Maxwell back in, Jadyn Glab takes her spot on second for Washington.
11:17 p.m.
And why wouldn’t Boone deliver?
Just solid contact. Didn’t need to do anything special. Juts it into left field and plates Pickering.
First OU lead since the second inning, now up 4-3.
Jayda Coleman is 1-for-4 today. Figures the odds might straighten that out here with Boone aboard.
11:15 p.m.
Torres flies out, and it’s up to Rylie Boone.
Two outs, Pickering still on third.
11:12 p.m.
Heady base running from Pickering.
She got to third after Cydney Sanders’ check swing put the ball in play.
Just one out for Alynah Torres, who re-enters to pinch hit.
11:11 p.m.
Reminder: international baserunner rule is in effect here at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
OU freshman Kasidi Pickering starts the frame at second for the Sooners.
11:08 p.m.
Kelly Maxwell. Ice in her veins.
Strike three, headed to extra innings.
11:02 p.m.
… And then Maxwell issues a four-pitch walk.
Runners on first and second, one out, pressure mounting.
11:01 p.m.
Things that will keep Patty Gasso up at night: defensive miscues.
Alyssa Brito is charged for the Sooners’ third error of the night to give Washington a one-out baserunner.
Between that and the nine runners left on base, there is still plenty of room for improvement for OU no matter how this one shakes out.
10:57 p.m.
Meylan got Pickering again. Great learning moment for the OU freshman against one of the nation’s best pitchers, and big response from Meylan to make sure Brito had to hang out on first.
Fresh Kelly Maxwell to go as long as OU needs, but no margin for error in the bottom of the seventh, (obviously).
10:54 p.m.
Alyssa Brito starts something in the seventh with a single.
Kinzie Hansen stepping in, Pickering on deck. Probably the most explosive trio two games and change into the season for OU.
10:49 p.m.
Avery Hodge is so good at second.
She charges a slow bouncer and gets OU out of the inning.
Feels like the Sooners suddenly have all the momentum.
10:46 p.m.
Immediate impact from Maxwell.
Washington bounces it back to her and she rifles the ball home. Hansen’s tag is in time, and there are two outs with runners on first and second.
Big time stuff from Maxwell on the defensive end.
10:44 p.m.
Game reset.
Patty Gasso talking with the entire infield ad there are runners on the corners with just one out.
Liberty transfer Karlie Keeney makes way for Kelly Maxwell.
Massive moment here.
10:33 p.m.
Meylan strikes out Coor to end the inning, but the Sooners are level at three. New ballgame.
10:27 p.m.
Here was our interview with Ludlam this past fall, by the way.
10:26 p.m.
Wow. What an incredible transfer portal find for Patty Gasso.
Riley Ludlam thought it was a prank when Gasso called to her join the Sooners.
Now, the Furman transfer delivers an RBI-single to tie the game up, potentially playing a part in extending OU’s winning streak to 56.
Incredible story. Going to be really fun to watch this year.
Now, Coleman steps in with a runner on first (Boone, who re-entered) and one out.
10:23 p.m.
Unlucky night for Alynah Torres.
Had a home run robbed in the third inning, and now blasted one into foul territory in the sixth.
Bland did tag up to get into scoring position, though.
Furman transfers Riley Ludlam coming in to hit for Rylie Boone.
10:22 p.m.
Strong at-bat by Cydney Sanders.
She raced out to an early lead and had to foul off a pair from Meylan, but ultimately got the leadoff walk.
Sooners turn to true freshman Maya Bland to pinch run, Torres stepping in.
10:15 p.m.
Yeah, OU fans are going to love Paytn Monticelli.
She gets the strikeout to end the inning and lets out a few roars to fire up her teammates.
Jayda Coleman would be proud. Sanders-Torres-Boone due up, who are a combined 1-for-5 so far tonight.
10:09 p.m.
Well this is a curveball.
Paytn Monticelli, the Wisconsin transfer, is now in the circle for May.
Saw her for just one inning yesterday against Utah Valley and she’s into a huge spot early to keep the deficit at just one.
Monticelli can absolutely chuck it, and will bring a similar dynamic as Washington’s pitching change. Huskies now will have to time up Monticelli after seeing May for four innings.
10:07 p.m.
Ruby Meylan is rocking.
Sat Brito and Hansen down pretty quickly, leaving Pickering to battle.
Not sure what Washington saw on film yesterday, but every single offering to Pickering sat off the outside corner. Meylan then did a great job pulling out the chair to get Pickering to chase low and away for strike three.
Six outs to play with, but the Sooners are getting nothing off the flame throwing sophomore.
The streak is in serious danger in Mexico.
9:57 p.m.
Fantastic response from May.
Responds with a harmless pop up and then a full count strikeout. Ice in her veins.
Sooners have to get timed up with Meylan now. Nine outs to work with so still plenty of time.
Looked like Tiare Jennings was leading the huddle into the dugout, stepping into a much more vocal role this year as co-captains with Kinzie Hansen.
9:51 p.m.
May is in another jam. Karlie Keeney and Kelly Maxwell are up and throwing in the pen, per Chris Plank, but Gasso is going to stick with May for now.
Defense has let May down a bit. Tiare Jennings was dinged for an error to lead things off, and then a fantastic bunt put runners on first and second with just one out.
9:46 p.m.
Oklahoma popping everything up, and Jennings is the latest.
An uncharacteristically un-clutch night so far from the OU bats.
Seven runners left on base, including a bases-loaded fly out in the first inning.
Had to cash in, and it’s typically what Oklahoma does once its fully in the swing of the season.
Interested to see if May goes beyond the fourth. She’s been steady outside of the walks, but would be the first real test to see if Gasso is dedicated to the starter-reliever-closer model she teased on Monday.
9:44 p.m.
Ella Parker had a great eye yesterday, but Meylan is another level.
She fires her third strikeout past Parker, bu the Sooners get an extra life due to the passed ball… in the form of Tiare Jennings.
9:41 p.m.
When you’re good, you create your own luck.
Jayda Coleman whiffs on strike three, but it goes to the backstop and she gets aboard as a one-out baserunner. She pretty clearly said “I didn’t touch it” on the FloSoftball cameras. Ella Parker time.
9:37 p.m.
And it is the sophomore Meylan who gets the ball headed into the fourth.
She can hit 70 on the speed gun, which will be an adjustment for OU off of Lopez’s stuff.
Meylan was nails against Nebraska yesterday, shutting out the Cornhuskers.
9:34 p.m.
No nonsense inning is exactly what the doctor ordered for Nicole May in the bottom of the third.
She sat Washington down in order for the first time to get the OU lineup straight back out.
Will have to stay tuned to see if Huskies coach Heather Tarr does indeed head to Meylan or if she was just up and warming up because Lopez got into trouble in the top of the third inning.
9:29 p.m.
Torres almost went yard, but an excellent grab from Carter to keep the ball in the park.
Oklahoma has now stranded seven runners. Would expect Meylan next time out as well as the Sooners have now rolled through the lineup and look dialed in on Lopez.
She’s got the gas, so that will be an adjustment to get timed up on her. Backbreaker.
9:27 p.m.
OU gets a pair of walks to start the third inning, but Cydney Sanders pops up for the first out of the inning.
With Meylan warming up in the pen, OU has to cash in here. Can’t continue to strand runners in this one.
9:15 p.m.
Brooklyn Carter drives in Washington’s first run of the game with an RBI-single, and then advanced to second on Jayda Coleman’s throw in to home. Coleman’s throw beat Hobson, but Hansen was called for blocking the plate.
A few things — tough, tough play, but Grace Lyons would have made the diving stop to at least hold Hobson at third. Jennings just missed it on her dive.
Secondly, May was ahead in the count for Hobson and issued the walk. And that led to a run.
And then Jillian Celis clears the bases to put the Huskies up 3-2, the first deficit Oklahoma has faced this season.
It’s those little things from Lyons that OU will miss this year.
9:08 p.m.
Every Washington baserunner so far has been a free pass.
May walks Avery Hobson which is the one thing she couldn’t do. She stole 10 bases in 20 starts last year.
9:03 p.m.
Nothing going for OU after Boone starts things off.
Coleman and Parker both were unable to pull off what looked to be sacrifice bunt calls, and then Jennings flew out.
The Sooners have already stranded four runners. They stranded 10 runners against Duke, making that contest closer than it had any reason to be yesterday, which is just a sign that the offense is still working its way into the very young season.
8:58 p.m.
I’m not sure what’s more impressive, Rylie Boone’s ability to get the ball to die right off the end of her bat, or the fact that she can motor around the base paths lightning quick with a massive piece of gum and not accidentally swallow it.
Either way, she’s on first for Coleman.
8:55 p.m.
Free passes are really the only trouble Nicole May gets into.
Both of Washington’s baserunners in the first are off her arm, one a walk and one a hit batter.
A pitch in the dirt gave Brooklyn Carter enough time to race over to third and put runners on the corners for right fielder Alana Johnson.
8:53 p.m.
Sometimes it just isn’t fair.
Nicole May gets up early in the count on Washington shortstop Rylee Holtorf, but she made contact.
What would have normally dropped into shallow center field instead dropping into Jayda Coleman’s glove, as she came ripping in from near the wall. No shock, but Coleman continues to be sensational in the field.
8:45 p.m.
Cydney Sanders draws a walk to load the bases for Alynah Torres. The veteran finally got in the starting lineup after a great couple of games yesterday.
On the other side of life, Washington pitcher Lindsay Lopez does not appear to be happy with how the home plate umpire is calling the bottom part of the zone. Tough to battle this OU lineup and worry about the zone.
(Torres popped up, Sooners leave the bases loaded but take the 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first).
8:43 p.m.
Man. What a start to Kasidi Pickering’s OU career.
She went opposite field again, this time for a single, to drive in Alyssa Brito. She has seven career RBIs… 13 innings into her stay in Norman.
8:41 p.m.
Well, that didn’t take very long.
Kinzie Hansen cashes in on Jayda Coleman’s leadoff single, driving her home with a base knock right up the middle.
Alyssa Brito drew a two-out walk before Hansen’s clutch RBI. Patient from the two veterans after Ella Parker and Tiare Jennings swung away early on Lopez.
8:34 p.m.
A change from yesterday: Oklahoma is tonight’s road team.
We’ll get the OU bats up first.
8:29 p.m
OU’s starting lineup per Chris Plank:
CF Jayda Coleman
DP Ella Parker
SS Tiare Jennings
3B Alyssa Brito
C Kinzie Hansen
RF Kasidi Pickering
1B Cydney Sanders
2B Alynah Torres
LF Rylie Boone
P Nicole May
Washington is going with Lindsay Lopez in the circle, not Ruby Meylan. Interesting to say the least!
8:17 p.m.
Utah Valley just pushed Washington, falling 4-3, before the Huskies turn around to take on Oklahoma.
Understandable for Washington to be looking ahead, but OU run ruled Utah Valley 13-0 yesterday.
Chris Plank just said Nicole May will start for Oklahoma on the Sooners radio broadcast. Should be a fun one.