Connect with us

Oklahoma

OU Softball: Oklahoma Rides Fast Start to Open Series With Win Over UCF

Published

on

OU Softball: Oklahoma Rides Fast Start to Open Series With Win Over UCF


Oklahoma began its final Big 12 road trip with a bang. 

Patty Gasso’s team plated five runs in the first inning, complete with a two-RBI single from Kasidi Pickering and a two-run bomb from Alyssa Brito to set the tone for a steady win in the series opener. 

The No. 2-ranked Sooners went on to beat UCF 10-2 at the UCF Softball Complex on Friday.

OU (43-4. 19-3 Big 12) maintained its lead atop the conference with the win over the Knights (28-19, 10-12).

Advertisement

UCF helped the Sooners out immediately. 

Jayda Coleman beat out a throw for an infield single and Ella Parker reached on an error, putting immediate pressure on Kaitlyn Felton

Advertisement

The Knights’ starting pitcher didn’t help herself out, as she walked Tiare Jennings to load the bases with no outs. 

Kinzie Hansen broke the deadlock with an RBI-single, but Ella Parker was thrown out at home to make the first out of the game. 

Had Gasso kept Parker on third, she would have likely come home anyways. 

Pickering singled through the left side and Brito hammered a full-count delivery to left field, putting OU up 5-0 and ending Felton’s first stint of the evening after just six batters. 

Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders both walked with one out, but OU was able to further the damage after Rylie Boone struck out and Coleman bounced out to second base. 

Advertisement

After building the lead, Oklahoma stayed aggressive and attacked pitches early in at-bats, which produced mixed results in the second inning. 

OU was able to load the bases with one out, but couldn’t bring any runs across. 

Coleman added to the lead in the third, however. 

The senior centerfielder stepped in and belted her 11th home run of the season, an opposite field bomb with two outs that put the Sooners up 6-0. 

Kelly Maxwell finally had to work around traffic on the basepaths in the bottom of the third inning. 

Advertisement

With Stormy Kotzelnick already on first, UCF third baseman Sierra Humphreys dropped a single into shallow-left field, but Boone was unable to corral the ball off the bounce, allowing the runners to move up to second and third. 

Only working with one out, Maxwell then made a nice play herself. 

Jada Cody slapped the ball back up the middle, which Maxwell gloved and shuttled over to first for the second out of the inning, then Maxwell trusted her defense and induced a ground ball from Chloe Evans to get out of the inning. 

UCF went back to Felton in the circle to start the fourth inning, which was the Knights’ fifth pitching change of the game. 

Both Felton and reliever Sona Halajian re-entered the game as UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone never let OU’s offense get all the way through the lineup with the same pitcher. 

Advertisement

Felton frustrated Oklahoma upon her return, holding the Sooners off the board as the Knights tried to get into the game. 

A snafu in the field gave UCF a change to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth. 

Cody singled to center with two outs, but instead of simply getting the ball back into the infield, Coleman fired down to first base. 

Parker, who had been inserted into the defensive lineup at first in favor of the always steady Sanders, wasn’t ready for Coleman’s throw. The ball rolled into foul territory and allowed Cody to take second base on the throwing error. 

Maxwell looked unbothered, firing two straight strikes to Evans, but the UCF right fielder battled admirably. 

Advertisement

She didn’t allow Maxwell to coax her into a bad swing, and after taking three balls and fouling off three pitches, Evans doubled into the corner in right field to cut OU’s lead to 6-1.

Maxwell then issued a four-pitch walk, but struck out Shannon Doherty to end the inning. 

Oklahoma dialed back in on Felton in the seventh. 

It took just five total pitches for OU to load the bases. Hansen, Pickering and Brito all smoked singles through gaps and into the outfield.

The situation prompted another pitching change, as this time UCF called upon its fourth pitcher of the night in Ava Justman, ending Felton’s Friday. 

Advertisement

Avery Hodge was undeterred by the change, as she drew a walk to extend the lead back out to six runs. 

Boone poked her first hit of the day through the right side, narrowly missing Hodge, to put the Sooners up 8-1, and Coleman’s second walk of the day added to the advantage again. 

Oklahoma’s last run of the inning scored when Parker hit into a fielder’s choice, capping off the four-run frame. 

Up 10-1, Gasso left Maxwell in to record the first out of the seventh before turning to Karlie Keeney

Maxwell allowed eight hits and two walks, but struck out five and crucially limited the Knights to the lone run in 6 1/3 innings. 

Advertisement

Keeney swiftly notched the second out of the seventh, but she left her 1-2 delivery hanging and Evans pounced, clobbering a solo home run. UCF drew another walk off Keeney before she closed out the win.

The Sooners have a chance to notch the series victory on Saturday at 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Oklahoma

ACLU Issues Travel Advisory for Oklahoma After Passage of Extreme Anti-Immigrant Law

Published

on

ACLU Issues Travel Advisory for Oklahoma After Passage of Extreme Anti-Immigrant Law


ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLUs) of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, San Diego and Imperial Counties, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas issued an advisory warning their residents about the threat of civil and constitutional rights violations when traveling in the state of Oklahoma after the passage of an extreme anti-immigrant law.

Oklahoma’s new law, HB 4156, makes entering and remaining in Oklahoma a crime if a person entered the United States unlawfully. It would also make reentering Oklahoma after being ordered removed from the U.S. a crime.

When implemented, this law will pose a risk to any person while in Oklahoma, since travelers and Oklahoma residents, including life-long undocumented Oklahomans or residents of neighboring states, are at risk of arrest and imprisonment. The law also raises the possibility of racial profiling by law enforcement officers who are untrained in complex federal immigration law.

“HB 4156 is an attack on immigrants everywhere. By taking on unconstitutional immigration enforcement power, the government in Oklahoma is threatening immigrants who have lived and worked in their communities for decades. This is also a threat to New Mexicans who are undocumented, have mixed-status families or are simply a target for racist profiling overeager and undertrained local law enforcement officers,” said ACLU of New Mexico Border and Immigration Policy Advocate Leonardo Castañeda. “That is why states surrounding Oklahoma, as well as across the border, are issuing this advisory as both a warning to our residents and in solidarity with Oklahomans who do not want this law and believe in treating immigrants humanely, not as political pawns.”

Advertisement

Countless residents of states bordering Oklahoma have family and loved ones who may be at risk from this law that threatens their civil liberties. This joint travel advisory highlights the solidarity of communities surrounding Oklahoma against punitive and counterproductive policies that harm our immigrant communities and do nothing to welcome people seeking safety and refuge.

People traveling in Oklahoma are advised to remain calm if stopped by police and encouraged to exercise their right to immediately ask for an attorney and otherwise remain silent. More guidance is outlined in the travel advisory found here (link will take you to the ACLU of New Mexico’s website).



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Oklahoma

Tornadoes, severe storms rip through Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan: See photos

Published

on

Tornadoes, severe storms rip through Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan: See photos


play

Areas across multiple states in the Great Plains and Midwest were damaged and thousands lost power as severe weather and tornadoes swept through early this week, with more bad weather on the way.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is working to assess damage and confirm any tornadoes from Tuesday’s storms, as the region braces for more severe weather Wednesday. Jim Lott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, told Fox19 in Cincinnati that radar detected rotation in Butler County, Warren County, and in southeastern Indiana. Another tornado was confirmed by the weather service in Hancock County, near the Pennsylvania border.

Advertisement

In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass counties after severe weather on Tuesday. Tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service Tuesday in Union City and Portage in southwestern Michigan.

On Monday, at least an EF3 tornado tore through Barnsdall, Oklahoma, a small city of about 1,400, one of at least five confirmed tornadoes to hit the state that day. It was the second time Barnsdall was hit by a tornado this year, with another one moving through April 1.

See photos as communities across the country recover from the severe weather.

Weather updates: 4 tornadoes confirmed in Michigan as severe weather threatens Central US

Damage and destruction from tornadoes in Michigan

Advertisement

Tornadoes rip through parts of Ohio

Cleanup continues after heavy storms, tornadoes sweep through Oklahoma

Contributing: Cheryl Vari and Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer.





Source link

Continue Reading

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City Thunder top Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, make NBA history in process

Published

on

Oklahoma City Thunder top Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, make NBA history in process


play

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-95 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8 of 19 from the floor but 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in his first career second-round playoff game. The Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to win a conference semifinal game.

Advertisement

Kyrie Irving scored 19 points and Luka Doncic finished with 19 points and nine assists for Dallas.

Less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Mavericks cut a 12-point Thunder lead to one on Irving’s 3-pointer off a feed from Luka Doncic.

Oklahoma City outscored Dallas 51-30 the rest of the way.

“I think it’s a muscle we’ve built at this point,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of the poise his team showed in responding when Dallas cut his team’s lead. “We’ve had to endure a lot of those situations during the course of the season. I think a lot of it comes from respect for your opponent.”

Advertisement

The Thunder quickly answered Irving’s trey out of a timeout, with Isaiah Joe draining a 3-pointer to kickstart a 14-4 run over the next three minutes.

Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers during the run, then added the exclamation point on the stretch by sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Before the game, Doncic heaped praise on Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, calling him one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.

Dort showed why during the key sequence, knocking the ball away from Doncic near midcourt, diving to collect the ball before quickly finding a streaking Joe, who fed it up to Jalen Williams for a dunk.

Advertisement

Dort helped the Thunder hold Doncic to 6-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.

“They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team, so it’s not going to be easy at all,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to play very good basketball – focused basketball – for 48 minutes.”

The Mavericks went nearly four minutes without a field goal late in the third as Oklahoma City stretched its lead as high as 15 before Dallas cut it back to 10 with two baskets in the final 30 seconds.

Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, Williams added 18 points and Aaron Wiggins had 16 off the bench, including 12 in the second quarter.

The Thunder scored 22 points off Dallas’ 16 turnovers.

Advertisement

The Mavericks shot just 39.3 percent, while the Thunder hit 44.9 percent.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) in Oklahoma City.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending