Softball

[SoonerTraveler]

Putting the ball in play: Each team only had one (1) strikeout tonight.

Error Free: Unlike other SEC opponents, Auburn committed no errors in the game.

It was a well played game between two well coached teams. Having a dramatic 7th inning is becoming the norm in this tournament.

 

[SoonerSpock]

'Tis true but in Paige's case an inch or two at the top or bottom of the zone could be significant. I can understand some of the east/west strikes because of the movement of the curve ball but on the other side of the plate it is beyond me as neither pitcher threw the screw ball tonight.

 

[Speedy17]

I thought Patty made a mistake here by not trying for that insurance run by having Romero bunt. Anything can happen when you put pressure on the defense by putting the ball in play in a bang-bang situation.

I thought Syd should have squeezed. Their defense was way back on their heels because of the Hr in the previous at bat.

 

[Speedy17]

I'm inclined to thing that either Lopez or Olmos are most likely to be the 2nd starter. I think Chestnut was hit too hard this year to be the likely starter against tough opponents unless her difficulty was really having difficulty hitting the edges. I am going to take Speedy 17 suggestion that Patty envisioned Finney as a closer. If so that leaves only Lopez and Olmos as a 2nd starter unless Mendes is a total surprise.

In the outfield we only have two returning players Hatfield and Lundberg. Macy could definitely win one of those OF jobs. She hit .350 with 4 HR's and 11 RBI's in only 40 AB's which included a couple of key pinch hits during the season. No feel on Lundberg. Both Mendes and Taukeiaho are supposed to be outstanding defensive outfielders that can hit the ball and Taukeiaho is a power hitter. The question is how do the freshmen adjust to D-I. If they do we definitely could havae two freshmen start in the outfield.

I almost guarantee that Lopez will be the #2 starter - she is so good that she might overtake Paige. Yeah, that is right. I think the OF will be Taukelaho in left, Pendley in CF, and Aviu in RF. You can mix in Hatfield and Mendes. I don't know what they are going to do with Lundberg. She is not really an outfielder and 1B is now owned by Knighten.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Post game pressers. Myers felt they were a little unlucky to lose and one of their players flat out said they were the better team. Their only comment about OU was by Myers saying they were similar teams. They felt they knew how to hit Parker.

The press conferences follow the game highlight video on soonersports.com.


http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000

 

[Sooner Cal]

Myers should show a little more respect, they do have to play another game.

Actually, they were lucky to beat FSU.

 

[SoonerMGB56]

Post game pressers. Myers felt they were a little unlucky to lose and one of their players flat out said they were the better team. Their only comment about OU was by Myers saying they were similar teams. They felt they knew how to hit Parker.

The press conferences follow the game highlight video on soonersports.com.


http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000

I noticed that also. Even softball has that "we're the might SEC" thing going.

The quotes I'm referring to:

“We've been against the wall plenty of times,” Auburn’s Emily Carosone said. “We know how to handle it, like coach said. It's not over. The season is not over yet. We still have a game to play with and two more to win. We know what we need to do. They have one pitcher, and in the last inning you could see we were on her.

“I don't think the next two games will take as long to score some runs for our pitchers, so I think we're better off. It was a warm-up.”

“I think since the Arizona (series) was so close and that team was so dominant, and for us to come out on top just shows Auburn's character, just shows that it's not over,” Carosone said. “But like I said, Arizona was a good team, and we pulled it out. We did great. That's what I expect for the next two games.”

First, to compare us to Arizona is absolutely ludicrous; Arizona isn't even in the same solar system as OU. Secondly, while what was said about us only having one pitcher is more or less true, it's a gross exaggeration to say "we were on her". And thirdly, even if they win out, it's incredibly arrogant to say the things they said, the way they said them.

If Auburn was the better team, than why didn't they make the plays. We made more plays, pure and simple. And as others have said, we left runs out there.

I know it's a hard choice, but I wouldn't second guess Patty if she started Kelsey and gave Jayden some innings. Kelsey is a senior and been here before. I have a hunch she would surprise many and step up. But if Patty chooses to ride Paige, hopefully Paige can dig deep and shove those arrogant SEC words down Auburn's throat.

P.S. I saw a lot of coverage of how incredible Shay's stop and throw were, but little about the job Wodach did. As a former catcher, with a daughter who played catcher, I can tell you the catch, block and tag were fabulous. Wodach's role in that play was as important, if not more, than Shay's. Remember, Shay's throw wasn't perfect. I've been critical of Wodach in the past, but her play in the tournament has been stellar.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Let me see if I have this right:

When OU makes a great play, like Shay's throw to Wodach, it's just good luck for us and bad luck for them. But if they make a great play, there's no luck involved.

 

[sybarite]

So. They had Paige figured out? Let's see.

Sixth inning:

Draper grounded to third
Howard (most hits in the SEC?) flied to left
Cooper walked
Carosone (the one who was so confident) popped a weak foul to third.

Seventh:

Wallace walked
Rhodes homered
Fagan singled up the middle
Gipson struck out, the only K of the game.
Jordan grounded weakly to Paige, who threw it into right
McCracken grounded hard to Shay, who threw home for an out.
Howard (leadoff hitter, most hits in the SEC?) popped weakly to third.

That is what they mean by having Paige figured out. Your top three hitters got a walk, a weak fly ball, a weak pop to third, and a weak pop foul to third in the last two innings. That's having it all figured out?

 

[scrybe]

But, really guys (and gals), what do you expect? The arrogance that is the SEC comes from these teams and players being told over and over that they are the best, just head and shoulders better than any team in any other conference. Heck, even a few of the posters on this board seem to have swallowed that narrative.

It would be sickening for me to listen to the arrogance coming out of the Auburn presser if I didn't know that it's nothing more than bravado from a team and conference that is scared to death of the Sooners and trying to convince themselves that they are better than OU. The Sooners are now 8-0 against the SEC this year. It is my full expectation that it will be 9-0 after tonight's game.

 

[j2d2]

My impression was that Auburn coach and players werent arrogant but confident. Dont sneer at their coache's record of two national championships and taking Auburn from the bottom to the top in four years. Are you comfortable thinking he is an idiot? You dont think a team of good hitters havent learned from this first game? Didnt you hear their great hitter explain what she needs to change to get more hits. They are at this championship because they are good. His observations were accurate,but of course, he looks at it from their viewpoint. It's a big mistake to misread that team and coach.

 

[sybarite]

But, with one exception, they didn't learn in this game. They were hitting the same weak foul ball popups in the sixth and seventh that they had hit in the first and second, with one exception. Carosone's last at bat was a weak foul ball popup, after seeing Paige twice before. Howard's last two at bats were a weak fly to left and a pop to third. Where they actually learning? A weak ground ball back to the pitcher caused a major problem when Paige threw it away. But, it was a weak ground ball. Gipson, a key hitter, struck out, the only strike out of the game.

With the exception of one hit, what indicated that they had learned?

Right now, I'm more concerned with whether we settle down or not. We did not execute well last night. If we execute well and score six or seven, did Auburn show enough to say they could compete?

 

[womenssports]

I almost guarantee that Lopez will be the #2 starter - she is so good that she might overtake Paige. Yeah, that is right. I think the OF will be Taukelaho in left, Pendley in CF, and Aviu in RF. You can mix in Hatfield and Mendes. I don't know what they are going to do with Lundberg. She is not really an outfielder and 1B is now owned by Knighten.

Maybe DP?

 

[scrybe]

My impression was that Auburn coach and players werent arrogant but confident. Dont sneer at their coache's record of two national championships and taking Auburn from the bottom to the top in four years. Are you comfortable thinking he is an idiot? You dont think a team of good hitters havent learned from this first game? Didnt you hear their great hitter explain what she needs to change to get more hits. They are at this championship because they are good. His observations were accurate,but of course, he looks at it from their viewpoint. It's a big mistake to misread that team and coach.

LOL. Where on earth did you hear me call Myers an idiot? He is a very good coach and has a very good team. But his Tigers are far from unbeatable. Let me make my point again:

Teams in the SEC (not just Auburn) have been conditioned to believe that they are unbeatable because they are told so often that no teams outside the SEC can play ball at or near their level. And it's very difficult for these kids and their coaches to let go of that mindset when they go up against a team that performs at a higher level than they're accustomed to seeing.

Make no mistake: That 8-0 record the Sooners have this year against SEC teams is no aberration. Can a SEC team defeat the Sooners? Of course; not even the most dominate team wins all of its games. I don't believe for a second that this will happen, but if OU does lose the championship series, Patty Gasso and her players will be gracious and credit their opponent with outperforming them on the field. That's something I did not see in the Auburn postgame presser last night.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

First, to compare us to Arizona is absolutely ludicrous; Arizona isn't even in the same solar system as OU. Secondly, while what was said about us only having one pitcher is more or less true, it's a gross exaggeration to say "we were on her". And thirdly, even if they win out, it's incredibly arrogant to say the things they said, the way they said them.

Well, I agree that it definitely smacks of a strong dose of bravado and SEC arrogance to this Sooner fan. I suppose a disinterested fan, (say, a UCLA fans) might consider after watching their presser that Auburn was just a supremely confident team, and their coach (rightly, I suppose) is the sort that isn't going to give any more credit to their opponent than necessary, instead choosing to accentuate their positives, rather than to laud the Sooners.

Tell me, if the Arizona team was as great as Carasone was gushing over them, how was it that they had 19 losses on the season and were unseeded coming into their regional?

Several of their players said in the presser that it is a matter of inches, implying that the breaks favored Oklahoma. What their biased eyes weren't seeing, however, was that it works both ways. Several times in the course of the game, an inch here or an inch there would have resulted in a big OU play either offensively or defensively.

And Clint Myers, their coach, emphasized that a number of the balls that they hit were hit hard, but for outs. Duh... He obviously wasn't watching some of the scortchers that WE hit for outs!

 

[BlackwellSooner]

Make no mistake: That 8-0 record the Sooners have this year against SEC teams is no aberration. Can a SEC team defeat the Sooners? Of course; not even the most dominate team wins all of its games. I don't believe for a second that this will happen, but if OU does lose the championship series, Patty Gasso and her players will be gracious and credit their opponent with outperforming them on the field. That's something I did not see in the Auburn postgame presser last night.

Well said. Myers said at the beginning of his presser something to the effect that it was a heckuva good game between two good teams. That, other than his comparing his team and OU as being very similar, was the extent of his complimentary remarks toward OU.

 

[sybarite]

The person at ESPN headquarters began the playoffs saying that OU would win over Auburn. Had her reasons.

OU should be favored, and OU should win tonight. Paige has the heart of a champion, and they still haven't shown the ability to hit her.

It is possible that Paige is more fatigued than she believes, and Auburn could have a great day. It happens. I think we also have more to give than we have shown.

I think we should be favored today. If it goes another game, I might tend to favor Auburn. Paige has to be getting tired.

 

[SoonerMGB56]

My impression was that Auburn coach and players werent arrogant but confident. Dont sneer at their coache's record of two national championships and taking Auburn from the bottom to the top in four years. Are you comfortable thinking he is an idiot? You dont think a team of good hitters havent learned from this first game? Didnt you hear their great hitter explain what she needs to change to get more hits. They are at this championship because they are good. His observations were accurate,but of course, he looks at it from their viewpoint. It's a big mistake to misread that team and coach.

Nobody sneered at Meyers, nor is anybody sneering at Auburn. As another poster above said, if Auburn comes back and takes this, we'll be gracious and say they outplayed us.

But nowhere, in their coaches or players remarks, did they give OU ANY credit. No, "they got the timely hits, and we didn't", no "they made some really good plays". That's what you would hear from Gasso, and I suspect her players.

To the contrary, very early in his remarks, Meyers said if we make "that play at first" we win the game. He made that remark several times. And Carasone all but flatly stated that the better team lost, and that they will hammer us the next two games.

Both Meyers and Carasone smacked of the SEC arrogance that is always prevalent. We are the SEC and you are not, so why not give up.

Even much of the coverage has been slanted towards the SEC, until OU made the championship series. Before the WCWS began an ESPN prognosticator picked Michigan and Auburn as co-favorites, with Alabama and LSU as "Don't sleep on" teams, and listed OU and Georgia as longshots. And when SEC teams threatened in games with OU, it was always, "here comes (SEC team)".

A certain amount of that I can understand from the media, as most of the announcers get their primary paycheck from the SEC network.

But maybe I'm asking for too much, but I expect more from their coaches and players. Our coach credited Meyers and Auburn players. Our players made references to how well they thought Lexi Davis pitched, and to a number of defensive plays made by Auburn. Why should we not expect the same from Auburn?

Because they're SEC, and we're not! We don't even deserve to be on the same field as them, and they're going to show us and everyone else the next two games.

 

[SoonerSpock]

No doubt Paige has got to be tiring and the way Auburn hits the ball we do not want to afford them the opportunity to see her offerings 3 days in a row to win a championship.

It will be interesting to see who Auburn throws. They felt Davis provided them with the best opportunity to win last night and she threw a more than an acceptable game that Auburn would normally win. Will they throw Davis again or come with another pitcher whose style is more conducive to the Sooners making good contact on the ball?

 

[SoonerSpock]

Nobody sneered at Meyers, nor is anybody sneering at Auburn. As another poster above said, if Auburn comes back and takes this, we'll be gracious and say they outplayed us.

But nowhere, in their coaches or players remarks, did they give OU ANY credit. No, "they got the timely hits, and we didn't", no "they made some really good plays". That's what you would hear from Gasso, and I suspect her players.

To the contrary, very early in his remarks, Meyers said if we make "that play at first" we win the game. He made that remark several times. And Carasone all but flatly stated that the better team lost, and that they will hammer us the next two games.

Both Meyers and Carasone smacked of the SEC arrogance that is always prevalent. We are the SEC and you are not, so why not give up.

Even much of the coverage has been slanted towards the SEC, until OU made the championship series. Before the WCWS began an ESPN prognosticator picked Michigan and Auburn as co-favorites, with Alabama and LSU as "Don't sleep on" teams, and listed OU and Georgia as longshots. And when SEC teams threatened in games with OU, it was always, "here comes (SEC team)".

A certain amount of that I can understand from the media, as most of the announcers get their primary paycheck from the SEC network.

But maybe I'm asking for too much, but I expect more from their coaches and players. Our coach credited Meyers and Auburn players. Our players made references to how well they thought Lexi Davis pitched, and to a number of defensive plays made by Auburn. Why should we not expect the same from Auburn?

Because they're SEC, and we're not! We don't even deserve to be on the same field as them, and they're going to show us and everyone else the next two games.

You are so right about SEC arrogance but I felt Auburn went a little over the top in their presser. The Sooners need to win tonight which would mean we went 9-0 against the SEC this year while playing for 3 of the last 5 championships, winning twice both times against an SEC team.

However, if that happens don't expect Auburn or the SEC to be humble or respectful. It is what it is!!