Alyssa Brito’s nine-pitch at-bat on Friday that ended in a strikeout was the “fighting at-bat” the Sooners needed, Patty Gasso said.
Saturday, Kasidi Pickering battled through 11 pitches during a first-inning at-bat and ultimately brought in the Sooners’ first run of a 6-3 win over Oregon in the NCAA Tournament Norman Regional.
No. 2 Oklahoma persisted through several gritty at-bats and a good — sometimes great — Oregon defensive performance in Saturday’s de facto regional semifinal game.
“There were some battling at-bats. I think [Pickering] was one. I think Ella [Parker’s] first at-bat wasn’t great, but what I love about her is she just adjusts,” Gasso said after Saturday’s win. “She wants to learn. She’s asking for information from the left side. ‘What did you see?’ It’s really wonderful to see these freshmen going to another orbit right now.”
After taking a 2-1 first-inning lead, the Sooners (51-6) struggled through the second, third and fourth innings while Kelly Maxwell gave the No. 22-ranked Ducks (29-20) her best stuff. The score remained 2-1 by the bottom of the fifth inning.
“[Maxwell’s pitching] definitely helps,” shortstop Tiare Jennings said. “Just like we have her back, she has ours. It goes back and forth. Defense played really great, too. It’s good in that moment she had ours in that moment and we could get some for her.”
The Ducks made several stellar played in the infield and outfield, including two diving catches off line drives and several other heads-up plays to keep the Sooners off the board during that span. Gasso decided the fifth inning was due time for a reset.
“I liked how we answered their [Oregon’s] run right away and then there was a little bit of silence,” Gasso said. “There was a little bit of silence and then, in the fifth inning, they [offense] responded to a call from the coaches and did a really good job of attacking and keeping things going.”
Jennings crushed a ball into the second tier of bleachers in left field to score herself and Parker. Then, in the sixth inning, Parker hit her 12th home run of the season and scored Maya Bland.
“Just learning how to adjust to the different pitchers,” Parker said. “I know my first at-bat wasn’t the best, but learning from the next at-bats after that was what I was really focusing on. And just learning how to learn from that first at-bat.”
Humility in mistakes has been the unique trend for this Sooners team, seeking historic territory as the first team to win four consecutive NCAA national softball championships.
“I think the big thing is I think we get in trouble when we start comparing what we were or what we used to be or whatnot, and I think that’s where we start getting in trouble,” Jennings said after the win. “But staying present. I mean, we’ve been talking about just staying present and not missing any moment. So it’s kind of just no looking back, no looking ahead, but staying in each moment and just not letting us get too far ahead or just getting too down on ourselves and just resetting every game.
“I mean, if I don’t have success, I know someone’s going to pick me up. Same thing with offense and defense, but just not letting ourselves get too ahead of ourselves, just staying right where we are and learning from each other.”
The Sooners will play the winner of Saturday night’s Oregon-Boston game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Love’s Field.
