Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Lose Big 12 Championship to Oklahoma State

By Joe Buettner

Bedlam softball’s fourth installment this season didn’t skimp on any dramatics, together with ESPN’s broadcast going out as quickly because the eighth inning began.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State battled to additional innings, however one week after the Sooners swept the Cowgirls to finish the common season, it was Oklahoma State that lastly prevailed 4-3 in eight frames on Saturday.

The victory supplied Oklahoma State with this system’s first Large 12 event championship and ended OU’s streak of 4 consecutive Large 12 event titles.

The highest-ranked Sooners will enter the postseason at 49-2.

The loss, which got here in entrance of a record-breaking Large 12 Softball Match Championship Recreation crowd of 5,410, isn’t prone to harm the Sooners’ postseason plans.

OU continues to be in line to be the highest general seed on this 12 months’s event and host by way of the Tremendous Regional spherical. The win does improve Oklahoma State’s odds, nonetheless, to lock up a top-8 nationwide seed, which might assure it internet hosting its regional and potential Tremendous Regional sequence in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State pitcher Morgan Day secured the win, permitting three hits and one run in 5 innings. OU’s Hope Trautwein picked up her first lack of the season, permitting 5 hits and two runs after coming into late for starter Nicole Might, who struck out three and allowed three hits and two runs.

OU freshman Jordy Bahl, who just lately earned Large 12 Co-Pitcher of the Yr and Large 12 Freshman of the Yr honors, was not out there resulting from arm soreness. OU coach Patty Gasso mentioned she expects Bahl to return for the NCAA event throughout an in-game interview with ESPN.

The Sooners’ offense, which was out-hit seven to eight and left seven stranded on Saturday, struck first within the third body with sophomore Tiare Jennings’ RBI single that plated Hannah Coor. The Sooners then added one other run, because of an Oklahoma State error that scored Jennings.

The Cowgirls rallied within the prime of the fourth, plating their first run of the day on an RBI single from Hayley Busby and tied it with Taylor Tuck‘s sacrifice fly that scored Miranda Elish.

Oklahoma State took its first lead of the day within the prime of the fifth, utilizing an RBI bunt from Chyenne Issue to plate Chelsea Alexander. OU’s Jocelyn Alo erased the margin within the backside half of the inning, sending a solo shot to left subject.

The house run marked Alo’s twenty fifth of the season and 113th of her profession.

The Cowgirls regained their benefit on a bases-loaded stroll, however the Sooners had been unable to reply within the backside half of the body.

Regardless of the loss, Alo, Trautwein, Rylie Boone, Lynnsie Elam and Grace Lyons all represented OU on the 2022 Large 12 softball All-Match group. Oklahoma State’s Day earned Most Excellent Participant honors.

OU will now flip its consideration to the NCAA event, which begins subsequent weekend with regional play. The Sooners will study their postseason vacation spot throughout Sunday’s choice present, scheduled for a 7 p.m. begin on ESPN2.