Sunday's game in Austin Texas was a tough day to pitch. It was going to be tough enough from the start with the wind blowing out towards LF with these two lineups hitting at the plate. Then as the game began, it became apparent that there was little to no outside pitches (away from the hitters" that would be called strikes. There was not much of a bottom to the strike zone as well. that does not leave much for a pitcher to pitch to. The top of the zone was pretty low also. Inside corners seemed to be there but that is just a dangerous place to pitch. I would not say that "Mr. Blue" did a bad job behind the plate based upon his version of the strike zone, as he did not very much at all except for a few pitches to my eyes from the RC bleachers.
Through the first two games, the Oklahoma pitching staff had allowed just one EBH, a triple in game 1. The Sooners, on the other hand had hit 1 double and 4 HRs. Both were strong pitching series so far for both the Sooners and the Longhorns. For a 3-game series, Texas usually hits 11 EBHs with 5 HRs, 5 doubles and a triple here and there. the Sooners pitchers had simply pitched tremendously in games #1 and #3. The big two for Texas, Stewart and Atwood were 3 for 13 with 1 walk and 4 Ks through two games. Oklahoma usually hits 5 doubles and 10.5 HRs and a triple now and then in a 3-game series. OU had totaled 1 double and 4 HRs, so they were a bit short of normal due to fairly strong pitching by Texas.
But as mentioned above, the conditions and strike zone pretty much changed that for Game #3. the pitching matchup was Teagan Kavan for Texas and Sydney Berzon for Oklahoma. In their careers, Kavan had pitched against Oklahoma in 24.1 Innings allowing 33 hits, 25 runs with 23 earned for a 6.62 ERA. The 2025 WCWS game, is and was, the anomaly for sure. Berzon had pitched against Texas (for LSU) in 15.2 innings allowing 18 hits and 9 earned runs for a 4.02 ERA.
Neither team scored in the first inning, but both tried. After a K of Kai Minor, Ella Parker roped a line drive that looked like a hit until Viviana caught the ball playing a bit up the middle. Kendall Wells then lined a single to LF. Gabbie Garcia walked to move Wells to 2B. Kavan got Kasidi Pickering swinging to end the threat. Texas opened with a walk against Berzon as we discovered the bottom of the strike zone was not down too much. Stewart then singled as we discovered there was not much a strike zone outside. Martinez grounded out into a FC at second leaving runners on 1st and 3rd. Berzon struck out Atwood swinging. Leighann Goode walked then to load the bases. Ashton Maloney then topped a pitch out towards the circle which Berzon played fairly quickly and shoveled the ball to Wells for the force at home plate to end the inning. It was pretty obvious at this point the strike zone was a not very large "postage stamp". Not good for either pitching staff.
OU went down in order in the top of the 2nd. Texas came right back at Berzon. Sneed grounded out to Barker at 3B. Nichols hit a slapper's single on a high bouncer over the circle for a single. Bennett then singled up the middle. Kayden Henry then hit a fly ball to CF that looked like an out at first, but that wind grabbed it and just carried it just over the CF wall for a 3-run HR. Berzon rallied with a strike out of Stewart on before a fly out to LF by Martinez. Texas led 3-0.
Abby Dayton opened the 3rd with a solo HR to RC to put the Sooners on the board. Minor grounded out before E Parker and Wells walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Garcia struck out and Pickering fly out to CF. Four runners left on base for the Sooners in 3 innings. In the bottom of the inning, Berzon gave up a single to Atwood to LF. Berzon then struck out Goode for the first out. In a bit of a surprise, OU made a pitching change as the Sooners brought in Kierston Deal to pitch to Maloney (LH hitter). Deal retired Maloney on a fly ball to LF. Sneed reached base on a pitch inside that hit her to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Texas went to their bench and sent Vic Hunter to the plate for Nichols. The change did not work as Hunter watched the first pitch for a ball and then watched 3 straight strikes cross the plate for a looking strike out. 5 runners left on base through 3 innings for Texas.
With two outs in the 4th, OU rallied. Barker singled to LC and soon moved to 2nd on a wild pitch. Dayton then singled hard against and off of Kavan's glove for a single as Barker moved to 3B. Minor then hit a sharp one-hop grounder to the left of the Nichols at 3B. The ball ticked off the end of her glove and into deep SS. Barker scored with Dayton moving to 2B. It was ruled an error, a tough error in my eye, by the scorer. E Parker walked, almost looking on purpose by Kavan, to load the bases. Wells then grounded fairly hard to 1B for the final out. Texas now led 3-2 as OU now had left 7 runners on base. Deal got a popup SS for the 1st out of the 4th. Henry laid down a bunt in front of the plate that Wells fielded quickly but threw wide into foul territory for an error with Henry moving to 2B. I thought Emerling needed to be on the foul side of the bag on the play as, yes, Henry was running inside the line, but Emerling never got there on the quick play as she stayed on the inside of the bag at 1B. I really did not understand the review on the play as unless the ball hits the runner, she cannot be called out. Again, in a bit of a surprise, OU made pitching change with Stewart coming to the plate as OU called on Berkley Zache to go to the circle. On the first pitch, Stewart must have felt a fly touch her leg as the home plate umpire called a HBP on Stewart's leg. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Zache then got Martinez on a ground ball to 1B as the runners moved to 2nd and 3rd. Berkley Z vs Atwood. Berkley Z struck out Atwood. There were a few fist pumps on that in the stands by Sooner fans.
OU went down in order in the 5th. First pitch Goode, then found an inside thigh high pitch, I think, and hit it out in CF quickly off of Berkley Z. Goode is definitely a first pitch hitter as she did the same thing in 2023 in the first game of the OU-Texas series at OKC and then again at Marita Hynes in the second game. Texas now led 4-2. Berkley Z bowed her back and got Maloney and Sneed out on ground balls for 2 outs. Again, OU went to the pen for Allyssa Parker. Nichols singled to 3B as Barker had to dive to her right to field the ball and her throw from the ground was late first base. A Parker then struck out Bennet to end the inning.
Agbayani led off the 6th with a single and then moved to 2B on a passed ball. Barker then singled to deep LF as Agbayani moved to 3B on the play to get in scoring position. Dayton followed with a fly ball to CF that plated Agbayani to make the score 4-3. Minor then lined out to CF sharply.
A Parker got Henry on a ground ball to 2B to open the 6th. After a borderline pitch was called a ball by A Parker to Stewart, the next inside pitch was just hittable enough that she hit a HR to LF. A Parker ended the inning with 2 ground ball outs. Texas led 5-3.
Editorial here: I liked what I saw out of Deal, Berkley Z and A Parker. Yeah, 2 solo HRs hurt a bit, but they got valuable experience in the game. Valuable experience is hard to get.
Top of the 7th, OU down 5-3. E Parker doubled to RC to open the inning. Wells got jammed and fouled out to 1B for the first out. On a 3-2 pitch, Garcia hit a 3-2 pitch for a HR to RC to tie the score at 5-5 with a left-handed fan making a very nice catch with a catcher's glove in the stands moved 12 feet or so to his left. Da-Da-Duh for the Garica HOME RUN to tie the score and to the fan on his catch. Pickering then hit a ground ball to SS that ended with a bang-bang play at 1B. The call was out, but OU asked for a review and the play was overturned. Pickering needed that one. Both Emerling and Agbayani flied out to end the inning.
Tied at 5, OU opted to bring in Audrey Lowry. Honestly, I saw Lowry go through her stretching, her routine and drills to warm up but if she threw in the bullpen, I did not see it at all. But even if she did not throw much in the pen, Lowry had no problem as she retired Texas 1-2-3 to send the game to the 8th.
Kavan opened the top of the 8th with a walk of Barker. Texas opted to go to Brenlee Gonzales to face Dayton. After two failed bunts, Dayton still got the job done as she grounded out between 1st and 2nd with Barker moving to 2B. Not the sacrifice needed, but Dayton still moved the runner up. When Minor singled through the right side and Barker scored, I bet Dayton got a few more high fives or fist bumps in the dugout. Texas the repeated a move from Game #2 as they brought in Citaly Gutierrez to face Kendall Wells. In the 2nd game on Saturday, the move yielded a 3-run HR by Wells. This time Wells flew out to LF for the 3rd out. OU led for the first time 6-5.
Texas opted to hit for Nichols again. This time with Hannah Wells from Coahoma, OK. On an 0-1 pitch she hit a high fly towards LF. It looked like an out, but the wind just kept carrying the ball and it landed on the back edge of the top of the wall for a solo HR to tie the game at 6-6. After a popup by Benett for the first out, Henry singled to 2B (I do not remember the play at all, so I am guessing it was a clean single, but I am blind about this one.) With Henry on first base, on a 2-0 pitch to that postage stamp strike zone, Stewart found a pitch to hit and she hit it hard for a 2-run HR. Stewart turned and threw the bat down hard before she rounded the bases. To me that means, the Longhorns needed that win pretty bad for that emotion as they celebrated the win 8-6 over Oklahoma.
Tough luck for Lowry. She pitched beautifully this weekend. Before that pitch, she had thrown 9.1 innings allowing 9 hits (8 singles), 1 walk and 5 Ks. That is staff ace stats against a tough lineup for a lefty. The two runs hurt a bit, but she will learn and she will be resilient.
Look, I certainly hoped for a sweep and I thought the Sooners would get that late in the game. But to go to Austin and win the series is a very good series for OU. Sunday was a tough pitching day. The series wipes out my memory of the series in Texas in 2024. I am glad that is gone now. OU did give up 5 HRs in the game, but to me, that is a lot like the 13 Ks in Game 1 for the Sooner hitters. Okay....could be better, but 2 were really wind aided and the freshmen learned a great deal. The Sooners fought back and continued to really dominate Kavan in all but one game against her. Texas needed that win really badly. OU still held Texas under their averages for hitting and EBHs.
The Sooners now led everyone in the SEC by the Sooners by two games in the loss column except for Alabama. They lead everyone but Florida and Texas A&M by 3 games in the loss column. Only four teams can finish the SEC with 4 losses of less but those 4 teams. As said before, the winner of the SEC probably needs only 4 losses this season. And that might be a tie with those 4 losses.
The Sooners have Arkansas and Georgia at home before going to A&M to finish. I can see OU finishing with only 1 or 2 losses in their last 9 SEC games. It could have been a better drive home yesterday, but it was still pretty good. The hard rain we drove through was manageable and "Sally Sue" on our phone alerted us to some road construction that we avoided, and I found a 1.5 of rain in my rain gauge this morning. Most everything is good.
Now if the Sooners can get Pickering and maybe Emerling going a little better (Barker had a decent series this weekend) and find that #3 and #4 arm to go to, life will be good after we beat OSU on Wednesday night if weather allows.
Boomer Sooner!
(I will get the Question results and all the game updates added soon this morning.)
