In Norman, they Sooner women lost 12-10 in eight innings. The Gophers used their number two starter, while Paige Parker started for OU and pretty much got lit up.
Tied at seven headed to extra innings. The Sooners gave Minnesota four runs in the top of the eighth. Only one ball out of the infield, and that should have been played at second. Hit batter, two misplays at short, down one and Minnesota players at 1st and 2nd, Nobody covered first base on a sacrifice bunt. Then the grounder to the left of second that got through for a two run single and an 12-8 lead.
OU put together four hits in B8 and got the winning run to plate with two out and two on, but the ground out ended the game. Losing to Minnesota twice, pretty much ensures that OU cannot host a super-regional and puts hosting a regional in jeopardy no matter how well they play the rest of the year.
But the bigger issue is a depleted pitching staff. Parker had a tough night surrendering two leads, a three run homer in the second, and back to back homers in the third. She got seven outs total and gave up five runs. Stevens settled it down, but after OU led 8-7 in the seventh, control problems led to the tying run and then the go ahead run. She left trailing 9-8. Chestnut pitched well, but four infield grounders were misplayed into a four run inning and it was too big a hole to climb out of.
OU will get no schedule strength from the conference, most likely. They do have SEC single games against Bama and UTenn, one in a tournament and one at Knoxville.
This group has some talent, but they aren't doing very well when the other team is decent. They beat UCLA, but have lost twice to Minnesota, got run ruled by Washington, lost big to Michigan, lost to unranked but "receiving votes" Oregon State. They have two or three wins over decent teams. The rest of the wins are over sub par teams.
And starting Friday, after a very taxing night Wednesday, they play five games in three days. Bama is the second game Saturday, the fourth of the weekend, Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton. And Sunday, they play 23rd ranked Nebraska. Minnesota is 22nd and has lost in the last week to Robert Morris, Mercer and last night at Tulsa, who is pretty good.
THe Sooners are now 17-5.
Tied at seven headed to extra innings. The Sooners gave Minnesota four runs in the top of the eighth. Only one ball out of the infield, and that should have been played at second. Hit batter, two misplays at short, down one and Minnesota players at 1st and 2nd, Nobody covered first base on a sacrifice bunt. Then the grounder to the left of second that got through for a two run single and an 12-8 lead.
OU put together four hits in B8 and got the winning run to plate with two out and two on, but the ground out ended the game. Losing to Minnesota twice, pretty much ensures that OU cannot host a super-regional and puts hosting a regional in jeopardy no matter how well they play the rest of the year.
But the bigger issue is a depleted pitching staff. Parker had a tough night surrendering two leads, a three run homer in the second, and back to back homers in the third. She got seven outs total and gave up five runs. Stevens settled it down, but after OU led 8-7 in the seventh, control problems led to the tying run and then the go ahead run. She left trailing 9-8. Chestnut pitched well, but four infield grounders were misplayed into a four run inning and it was too big a hole to climb out of.
OU will get no schedule strength from the conference, most likely. They do have SEC single games against Bama and UTenn, one in a tournament and one at Knoxville.
This group has some talent, but they aren't doing very well when the other team is decent. They beat UCLA, but have lost twice to Minnesota, got run ruled by Washington, lost big to Michigan, lost to unranked but "receiving votes" Oregon State. They have two or three wins over decent teams. The rest of the wins are over sub par teams.
And starting Friday, after a very taxing night Wednesday, they play five games in three days. Bama is the second game Saturday, the fourth of the weekend, Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton. And Sunday, they play 23rd ranked Nebraska. Minnesota is 22nd and has lost in the last week to Robert Morris, Mercer and last night at Tulsa, who is pretty good.
THe Sooners are now 17-5.
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