Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Looking to Take Command of Norman Regional Against Texas A&M

NORMAN — Patty Gasso couldn’t have drawn up a greater begin to the NCAA Event.

Her top-seeded Sooners (50-2) dispatched of Prairie View A&M on Friday night time, as Oklahoma fired on all cylinders.

Nicole Might and Hope Trautwein mixed for a no-hitter, setting a brand new program file within the course of because it was the seventh no-no of the yr for the pitching workers.

The dominant show within the circle was supported by a 14-run efficiency from the offense, the place 4 completely different Sooners launched house runs.

If there was any hangover following OU’s loss to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in final weekend’s Massive 12 Event, Oklahoma confirmed no indicators in its NCAA Event opener.

Whereas the workforce carried out at a excessive stage on the sphere, Gasso stated she was much more happy with how her group approached the competition within the dugout.

“The dugout was on fireplace,” Gasso stated after the win on Friday. “I believe that is probably the most top-to-bottom engaged that I had seen them in a very long time.

“For instance, I identified to the workforce after the sport. Alyssa Brito had a not so nice first at-bat, a very nice educated second at-bat, after which I took her out. And that lady was simply on fireplace (within the dugout)… It felt very team-oriented tonight.”

Even after the sport was nicely in hand, the vitality poured out from the dugout.

When freshman Turiya Coleman blasted her first house run of the yr, it sparked the longest celebration of the night time at house plate from the Sooners.

“When (Turiya Coleman) hit the house run, you’ll have thought that we’ve simply received an enormous time championship,” Gasso stated. “… I used to be most happy with the camaraderie of the workforce within the dugout. And that’s what we want.

“The dugout must be so engaged… And I felt that they had been engaged in each at-bat and each pitch.”

Oklahoma’s victory over the Panthers slid the Sooners into the winner’s bracket, the place the Texas A&M Aggies (30-26) now loom.

The Aggies notched an enormous win themselves on Friday, toppling Minnesota 5-1 simply earlier than the Sooners took the sphere.

No matter whoever will get the ball within the circle for the Sooners towards Texas A&M, they’ll have expertise to lean on.

Might helped information OU via final yr’s championship run, and Gasso harassed the necessity to get Trautwein an inning of labor towards Prairie View A&M so the North Texas switch would have the ability to expertise the environment of postseason play at Marita Hynes Subject.

The pitching workers will once more benefit from run help from an Oklahoma offense reinvigorated by having Jayda Coleman again within the leadoff spot.

In her return to the highest of the lineup, the sophomore centerfielder went 2-for-2 with an RBI, additionally drawing a stroll and a success by pitch.

Jayda Coleman stated her job beginning issues off for the Sooners is definitely fairly easy.

“My function is simply to get on base as a result of I’ve bought (Jocelyn Alo) proper behind me,” Jayda Coleman stated on Friday. “I’m simply doing no matter I can to get on base.”

If Oklahoma can deal with enterprise on Saturday, the weekend turns into extremely simple. OU would arrive at Marita Hynes Subject on Sunday, and a workforce must beat the Sooners twice to disclaim them a spot within the Tremendous Regionals subsequent weekend.

OU will get its probability to take a vice grip on the Regular Regional Saturday.

The Sooners and the Aggies are scheduled to sq. off at 1 p.m. The sport will air on the ESPN household of networks, although the channel has not but been introduced. 

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