Softball

[Sweetest OU Girl]

Tarp is coming off.

Hopefully we won't have to play IN the rain like we did in the World Series a few years ago.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Here is the box score.

http://www.secsports.com/boxscore/softball/350801497

LSU leads 4-2 in the 4th inning. Stevens gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, without getting an out.

 

[SoonerNorm]

The game is being streamed on WatchESPN.

6-2 LSU

 

[SoonerNorm]

Sooners got run-ruled 10-2.

 

[SoonerNorm]

LSU looked like the #1 team in the country the last 2 days.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

LSU's pitching is better than ours, likewise their hitting. We need to get better pitching from Kelsey. Embarrassing, getting run-ruled the second game.

 

[sybarite]

We went into a charged up situation with a questionable pitcher and two power hitters who couldn't hit the ball out of the infield. Freakish. Glad it happened now instead of April. We'll still finish ahead of them in the World Series.

 

[SoonerNorm]

LSU's pitching is better than ours, likewise their hitting. We need to get better pitching from Kelsey. Embarrassing, getting run-ruled the second game.

I agree. Our pitching has got to improve to stay up with the great teams.

 

[sybarite]

Wow! Such reactions!
LSU is in a bit of a hot streak. Last night, they were anything other than a contender for #1. Lauren and Shelby were in a slump. But, Lauren still hit a couple of shots that should have changed the game. Stevens has a problem right now. But, LSU is not that good. Parker made Bell look horrible until she got the one hit that won the game. Bell couldn't hit the ball fair..

LSU had no other hitters that could really do all that much against a freshman. They didn't have the speed that you usually associate with a CWS winner. They got us when they were hot, and we had some problems. Lauren couldn't hit last weekend either.

We also have a problem hitting the rise ball the first time we see hit, historically.

Since we have pitching problems, LSU looked good today. Today!! They didn't last night, and Parker will beat them like a stick in April. She is learning and is a much better pitcher than she was a month ago. The LSU "freshman" is a Stanford transfer who is really a sophomore with some experience. Wonder what it is about Stanford and pitchers?

We have already seen that Lauren and Shelby Pendley can hit better pitching than they saw yesterday and today. They are just off right now. Lauren and Shelby both have a tendency to do this. We lost a couple of conference games last year when they couldn't hit a lick.

Our only real problem is trying to figure out why Stevens who took us to the Final Six last year can't pitch against Texas Arlington right now.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

Our only real problem is trying to figure out why Stevens who took us to the Final Six last year can't pitch against Texas Arlington right now.

I agree, THAT is probably our biggest problem. Every hitter runs into dry spells. I believe (hope) that Lauren and Shelby snap out of this.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I agree, THAT is probably our biggest problem. Every hitter runs into dry spells. I believe (hope) that Lauren and Shelby snap out of this.

I think Shelby and Lauren will hit well against most teams. But, the teams with great pitchers will continue to cause all of our hitters problems.

 

[j2d2]

Paige had some problem throwing strikes. Several full counts, several balls in the dirt. She may have been trying too hard to hit the corners. She got no help from our hitters who watched fat strikes with their bat on their shoulders. Stevens really needs to find out what her problem is because she has one.

 

[sybarite]

LSU doesn't have an Abbott, nor does anyone else this year. A really good hitter can hit the best pitcher in college. There may be one, possibly two. When we won a couple of years ago, Tennessee had better pitchers than LSU, and Lauren hit a game-ending HR off of their ace. Lauren can hit anyone except maybe that Japanese pitcher that won the world championships. I want to see her go against that pitcher. But, there is no Abbott this year. Lauren does this about three times each Spring. She'll hit badly for a couple of games. Then, when she comes back, it is usually with line drives to the wall. Right now, she is looking long ball. Shelby has it worse. She had a game against Texas, I think, last year when she struck out three or four times. The next game, she killed them.

 

[sybarite]

Paige had some problem throwing strikes. Several full counts, several balls in the dirt. She may have been trying too hard to hit the corners. She got no help from our hitters who watched fat strikes with their bat on their shoulders. Stevens really needs to find out what her problem is because she has one.

Some of that is that Paige came to OU without a strikeout pitch. With Keilani, it was either the crop-duster or a change-up. Gascoigne used a change-up. Paige had been overpowering hitters in HS.

So, they have been teaching her a change-up. When she gets it over, it is devastating. She struck out three last night that just stood there and froze as it came by so slowly that they would have hit it if they had swung twice. But, she has little control over it yet. When she gets that pitch down, she may well be devastating. She has power, a curve, and a rise (her favorite). But, she is learning a curve and screwball. She is, despite having three perfect games, a work in progress.

Stevens survived because she had a great changeup, and she wasn't throwing that hard to begin with.

 

[Speedy17]

I want somebody to teach Paige the crop duster - it absolutely devastated left handed hitters. I haven't seen Gasso as annoyed with her team as she was tonight. She was clearly frustrated with the performance. It will be a long week for the players this week because she is not happy and is exasperated with Kelsey Stevens.

 

[j2d2]

i could see that something was going on with Paige because on some pitches she seemed to stumble, or stagger or slip or misstep in her throwing motion. Trying to throw pitches she isnt yet good at throwing, I guess.

 

[sybarite]

i could see that something was going on with Paige because on some pitches she seemed to stumble, or stagger or slip or misstep in her throwing motion. Trying to throw pitches she isnt yet good at throwing, I guess.

That, AND, Patti spent some time yesterday trying to get the umpires to do something about the rubber. It was interfering with Paige's motion. They wouldn't do it.

 

[scrybe]

I suspect we'll get another shot at LSU. And when we do the results will be different.

 

[Speedy17]

Yes, the pitching rubber was a problem. On Friday, Paige got called for an illegal pitch because her foot was sliding off the pitching rubber. Paige survived it but today the same umpire called it Kelsey and she never recovered, in fact, her entire motion and release point came unglued. Two years in row in Louisiana, OU has had some strange umpire experiences - hitting would have solved the issues.

I also think things will be different vs. LSU in the NCAAs. Just like it was different with Lafayette last year.

 

[tycat947]

Yes, the pitching rubber was a problem. On Friday, Paige got called for an illegal pitch because her foot was sliding off the pitching rubber. Paige survived it but today the same umpire called it Kelsey and she never recovered, in fact, her entire motion and release point came unglued. Two years in row in Louisiana, OU has had some strange umpire experiences - hitting would have solved the issues.

I also think things will be different vs. LSU in the NCAAs. Just like it was different with Lafayette last year.

Agreed! And like last year the turning point of the season was after Laf, I'm hopeful the same happens this year. We just haven't gotten into a groove this year and I think a lot of it is the injury situation. Hopefully, this stops!