Softball Live Blog: Oklahoma Takes on BYU for a Spot in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship

Patty Gasso's No. 4-ranked Sooners will meet BYU on Friday in Oklahoma City with a spot in Saturday's title game on the line.

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

OKLAHOMA CITY— Ryan Chapman and Bryce McKinnis offer their real-time observations as the No. 4-ranked Sooners continue their run at the 2024 Big 12 Tournament against the BYU Cougars at Devon Park, formerly known as Hall of Fame Stadium. Just keep the browser open and refresh for Chapman and McKinnis' updates throughout this evening's contest. 

7:04

Sooners win on 13-2 run-rule; Deal's bid for no-hitter comes up short. Oklahoma plays the winner of Texas-Baylor at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday for the 2024 Big 12 Championship.
— BM

6:59

With two outs and two strikes on the board in the top of the fifth inning, a BYU single into right field breaks Deal's no-hitter. BYU's Hailey Morrow hits home run to score Cougars' first two runs.
— BM

6:49

Parker's double bounces off the back wall, advances Coleman and scores Bland.
— BM

6:45 p.m.

Brito scores on Hannah Coor's grounder into center field. Maya Bland walked to load bases. Hodge's sac fly scores Riley Ludlam. Sooners up 11-0.
— BM

6:34 p.m.

Tiare Jennings walked to load bases. Brito scores Ella Parker and Jayda Coleman to take 8-0 Sooners lead. Hansen scores Jennings from second; 9-0 Oklahoma.
— BM

6:29 p.m.

Ella Parker single scores Avery Hodge; Jayda Coleman on second with no outs.
— BM

6:19 p.m.

Alyssa Brito dives to field a grounder, flips her hips and makes a spectacular throw out to first. Pickering hauls to make the inning-closing outside the foul line. Sooners lead 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
— BM

6:10 p.m.

Unfortunate end to the third inning for the Sooners. Kasidi Pickering initially beat the tag into third base, but she slid past the bag and BYU third baseman Lily Owens stuck with it to get the Cougars out of the inning. Sooners carrying a 5-0 lead into the fourth.
— RC

6:00 p.m.

Kasidi Pickering’s nice afternoon continues. 

She rifles a hard-hit ball through the right side this time to score Kinzie Hansen. The OU freshmen are rolling here in Oklahoma City.
— RC 

5:58 p.m.

Alyssa Brito scores from second on a Kinsie Hansen single; Sooners lead 4-0 in the third. Hansen steals second.
— BM

5:53 p.m.

Hope Mares is okay. Brito singled off her ankle, and BYU decided to use that spot to make a pitching change. Right-handed pitcher Kate Dahle is stepping into the circle. She’ll inherit Brito, who made it to second after the Cougars overthrew first base trying to salvage an out after the deflection.
— RC 

5:48 p.m.

Well, the no-hitter is still technically on for Deal. She dinged a batter in the third, but OU’s defense was unbothered and the Cougars still haven’t found a breakthrough. Sooners carrying a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the third with Jennings-Brito-Hansen due up.
— RC

5:41 p.m.

Oklahoma got Tiare Jennings to snap out of a slump next weekend, so the next project probably needs to be Cydney Sanders. Dating back to the Sunday finale against Houston, Sanders is hitting 1-for-17 with four strikeouts, though she has drawn six walks during that stretch. This is game nine of her slump.
— RC

5:39 p.m.

Jayda Coleman caught out by BYU's left fielder with her heels on the warning track. Ella Parker thrown out at first; three up, three down for the Sooners in the second inning.
— BM

5:34 p.m.

Alynah Torres makes a leaping catch and turns out a stellar double play with the throw out to Cydney Sanders, who will be first up to bat in the second.
— BM

5:32 p.m.

Kierston Deal’s going to want that one back. Looked like she had the perfect chance to erase her walk and double up BYU, but when she turned to throw down to second, Deal missed and ended up bouncing the ball to Jayda Coleman. One out so still a chance to get out of it, but a little blip in the second.
— RC 

5:23 p.m.

Really nice piece of hitting from Kasidi Pickering on that single. Mares not giving her much in the zone to turn on, so the freshman just settled for some nice contact on a ball that was high, essentially slapping it through the left side. The last month, everyone in OU’s lineup would have just taken that pitch and hoped for a walk. Much more aggressive in the first inning as it’s Patty Gasso’s pair of freshman that are again leading the charge. Sooners on top 3-0 heading into the second inning.
— RC 

5:20 p.m.

Kasidi Pickering's single inside the third baseman's left foot scores Tiara Jennings and Alyssa Britto as the Sooners take a 3-0 lead. OU's bats rolling as Torres hits a single into right field.
— BM

5:18 p.m.

Ella Parker crushes a home run over the right field wall to put the first run on the board today. Sooners lead 1-0 with two outs and runners on second and third.
— BM

5:07 p.m.

Easy 1-2-3 inning for Kierston Deal. Wonder if that means the Sooners would go for Nicole May in a potential Texas matchup should they handle business here tonight. Plenty of softball between now and then before worrying about that, though.
— RC

4:54 p.m.

BYU starting pitcher Gianna Mares appeared in two of the three regular season matchups against the Sooners. She threw 5 2/3 combined innings, allowing six OU hits and five runs.
— RC

4:40 p.m.

Lineups are in here ahead of today's Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Patty Gasso is rolling with Kierston Deal in the circle and Alynah Torres at second base. Jayda Coleman, Ella Parker and Tiare Jennings will lead things off at the top of OU's lineup against BYU's left-handed starter, Gianna Mares.
— RC