NORMAN — Sydney Berzon’s best performance in an Oklahoma uniform came against Cal at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 

The LSU transfer entered the game in relief and pitched a season-high 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four Golden Bear batters. 

Berzon’s longest outing prior to the Cal win was a 2 1/3 inning showing earlier on that day against Long Beach State, where she allowed six hits and walked one batter, but the veteran arm is ramping up into the season. 

“I think the more opportunities she gets on the mound, the better,” OU coach Patty Gasso said on Tuesday. “Right now, she is really sort of getting grounded with her pitches and her mental side.”

At LSU, Berzon was named an NFCA All-American twice, and she was a three-time All-SEC selection. 

She pitched 143 total innings as a freshman in 2023, 204 innings in 2024 and 139 1/3 innings last year as a junior. 

It’s been an adjustment splitting time between Audrey Lowry, Miali Guachino, Kierston Deal and Allyssa Parker in 2026, but the Sooners believe that will bring the best out of the entire staff toward the end of the season. 

“They grow up playing travel ball and being the pitcher that carries so many innings,” Gasso said. “I love Sam Landry, and she did a phenomenal job for us, I just don’t want to put a pitcher through that. It’s not good for us, either. We’re aiming to have as many aces as we can in one staff.”

Berzon, and Oklahoma’s entire pitching staff, has also had to adjust without associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha. 

Rocha is on a leave of absence to tend to a health matter, and former OU pitcher Karlie Keeney has stepped in to assist the program in the interim. 

Berzon, Guachino, Parker and Berkley Zache have all had to get to know Keeney on the fly, but the veterans Deal and Lowry have helped ease the transition. 

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“I think (Deal and Lowry) being here last year has helped us a lot,” Guachino said on Tuesday. “They’re really good at explaining stuff to us and showing us how everything was run last year. 

“… Karlie being here last year also helps a lot. She kind of knows how everything, (how) games work and things like that.”

OU opens its home slate with six games this weekend, starting Thursday, which will provide Berzon a host of chances to build on Saturday’s outing. 

“We want to give her as many opportunities as possible to stay in the game to see what that looks like,” Gasso said. “Give her as many pitching opportunities as possible to help that cause.”

Another opportunity squandered. 

A theme for West Virginia lately surfaced again Tuesday night at Oklahoma State.

The Mountaineers fought back from a 14-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but finished with two baskets and three turnovers during an extra session they never led in, and the Cowboys prevailed, 91-84 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“Got it into overtime and felt good, and they were able to execute better down the stretch than we were,” WVU head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio. “They got the ball to where they wanted and converted. We got the ball where we wanted to and didn’t convert.”

The result leaves WVU (16-12, 7-8) with its first three-game losing streak this season, while the Cowboys (17-11, 5-10) brought an end to a five-game skid.

WVU trailed 33-31 with inside 5 minutes to play in the first half, but starting with Anthony Roy’s layup at the 4:45 mark, OSU outscored the Mountaineers 13-2 over what remained of the half. The Cowboys accounted for nine straight points to end the half, including a Jaylen Curry three for a 46-33 advantage at the break.

Oklahoma State was 17 for 29 from the field with four threes and 8 of 9 on free throws in the opening half. Additionally, the Cowboys had six players with at least five points and only two turnovers through 20 minutes.

“The first half was probably as poor of a half defensively as we’ve played,” Hodge said. “They’re a good offensive team and they play with a lot of pace and confidence. We allowed them to establish a little too much of a rhythm and didn’t make them miss. Jasper [Floyd’s] foul trouble really hurt us. Our point of attack defense wasn’t good enough. It was just too easy.” 

WVU trailed by 14 on separate occasions in the second half, but after Christian Coleman converted a dunk off a second-chance opportunity to leave the home team on top 55-46, the Mountaineers countered with 10 straight points. That stretch began with Honor Huff’s three, before DJ Thomas and Chance Moore combined for seven straight points, including Thomas’ layup that gave the Mountaineers their first lead since 22-20 with 10:48 remaining in regulation.

Five was the largest lead on either side of what remained in regulation, with the Cowboys having it at 68-63 and 77-72, the latter occurring after a Kanye Clary trey with 3:06 remaining.

But Oklahoma State never scored again in regulation, missing all four of its shots, while WVU forward Chance Moore scored the final five points of regulation, including a driving basket with 19 seconds left to tie the game at 77.

After giving two fouls in the final seconds, the Mountaineers forced Clary into a challenged three that was off the mark as time expired.

But any momentum garnered from the strong finish to regulation quickly vanished in overtime, which began with Roy’s conventional three-point play that allowed the Cowboys to play from in front.

Not until Moore made the second of two free throws with 1:34 left did WVU score in overtime, at which point it trailed, 84-78. Floyd’s layup with 19 seconds left marked the first WVU field goal of OT.

Oklahoma State center Parsa Fallah dunked in the final seconds to set the score, but appeared to suffer a significant non-contact injury on the play.

Huff’s 20 points were a team high, while Treysen Eaglestaff followed with 18. Moore scored 14 off the bench, but was 2 for 6 on free throws, including a miss with 1:08 left in regulation that could’ve cut a two-point deficit in half.

Brenen Lorient added 12 to make it four double-figure scorers in defeat.

WVU shot north of 48 percent (33 for 68) and made 12-of-31 threes.

“Minus the overtime execution, offensively, we executed pretty well for the whole game,” Hodge said. “We took good care of the ball and had good looks.” 

Six OSU players scored in double figures — Fallah (18), Clary (17), Curry (15), Andrija Vukovic (12), Roy (10) and Coleman (10).

The Cowboys enjoyed a decisive advantage on free throws by making 19 of 27 compared to WVU finishing 6 for 12. 

Since the Mountaineers made 16-of-19 free throws in their most recent win at Central Florida, they are 22 for 39 on free throws over their last three games. Over that same stretch, WVU opponents have made 51-of-75 foul shots.

“When you get in close, one-possession games, it certainly hurts when you’re splitting,” Hodge said, “or going 0 for 2 from the foul line.”

West Virginia is 0-2 in overtime and 5-9 in games decided by 10 or fewer points.

The 91 points were the most scored against the Mountaineers this season.

NORMAN — Oklahoma dropped one spot to No. 6 in the NFCA/GoRout Division I softball poll released Tuesday.

The Sooners went 5-1 last week, beating Duke and Washington, the top two teams they faced in the event, in run-rule fashion but falling 6-4 to Long Beach State on Saturday.

OU also beat Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State and Cal.

The Sooners (13-2) were leapfrogged by Alabama, who swept through their weekend including a pair of wins over then-No. 6 Florida State.

The top four in the poll remained unchanged, with Tennessee remaining No. 1, followed by Texas Tech, Texas and Florida.

Arkansas comes in at No. 7, giving the SEC six of the top seven spots in the poll.

UCLA, Nebraska and Florida State round out the top 10.

Other SEC teams in the poll include No. 12 Mississippi State, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 15 Georgia, No. 17 LSU, and No. 19 South Carolina.

Ole Miss and Auburn received votes.

Other OU opponents in the poll include No. 14 Arizona, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 23 Duke and No. 24 Arizona State.

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Oklahoma also dropped just one spot in the D1Softball poll, falling to No. 5, switching places with Florida.

The Sooners fell to No. 7 in the Softball America poll behind No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Arkansas and No. 6 Florida.

OU’s 56 home runs leads the nation, with freshman Kendall Wells leading the way with 10. Wells hit six at the Mary Nutter, with Saturday’s game against Cal being the only game where she didn’t hit one out.

No other team has more than 44.

Wells had her first two-home game in Thursday’s win over San Diego State. The catcher is tied for third nationally in home runs behind only Oregon State’s Jaeya Butler and UCLA’s Megan Grant, who had 11 each.

The Sooners are second in batting average at .434, behind only North Carolina.

Oklahoma opens its home schedule at 6 p.m. Thursday against Alabama State at Love’s Field.

They’ll play a doubleheader against Sam Houston State (2 p.m.) and Alabama State (5:30 p.m.) both Friday and Saturday before wrapping up their home weekend against Southeastern Louisiana at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Southeastern Louisiana is the top team out of the poll this week, receiving 32 votes.