Softball

[Tom4OU]

This experiment stuff with pitching has not been working out. We are clearly not very good beyond our top two pitchers and whenever they are struggling our bats don't always back us up, especially against a team with a good arm. I'm definitely not seeing a national championship caliber team in the last few games at the plate but this could be our little slump we are going through... Definitely have to play better than this to win any game against Arkansas

My question is how could these girls not be excited and ready to play in front of that big crowd against an in-state opponent? They just lacked energy all night long and seemed really unconcerned at the plate. On defense too.

Exactly! This is a game you come fired up to win. No mercy game. Anything less isn’t Oklahoma softball.

 

[soonerstar]

Gasso has given Deal plenty of opportunities to right herself. No improvement.

 

[womenssports]

Game time has changed to 530 tonight because of the potential for bad weather.

 

[Soonerguy06]

Well this is starting to feel like deja vu. Our pitching is struggling and Arkansas is already scored twice in the top of the second inning. Lowry just doesn't have it right now.


And our bats literally pray to get walked and that's about the most that they can do. Something is going epically wrong with our approach at the plate and our pitching is about as unreliable as it always has been. Had a good couple games against Texas on the mound but I think that was an anomaly

 

[Salt City Sooner]

4-0 Arky heading to the bottom of the 3rd.

 

[Soonerguy06]

Emerling with the Grand slam!!!! Tied ball game 4-4

Thank goodness for that because absolutely nothing else is happening for us at the plate. It started off with I believe a walk, then a hit by pitch and then another walk and then finally Emerling got the hit. Pickering didn't get on base (at this point I just Factor her as an auto out, along with Barker) to follow that up, and Agbayani popped up as well.

 

[Soonerguy06]

The two freshmen come up big in the bottom of the sixth resulting in a run, putting us up 7-5. Parker is now 0-6 in her last two games... Pickering is something even worse like 1-12 or something god awful like that.

 

[Soonerguy06]

So we going to the top of the 7th inning up 8-5 and what does Lowry do? She walks runners gives up hits and sure enough they are right back in the game 8-7 with a girl on second base and two outs and now Bella is up to bat, a girl who crossed one of the pictures earlier. So now Parker is in to try to close this thing out. We do not possess a championship caliber pitching staff. And when our at bats are this hot and cold I don't even know if we are a sure bet for the wcws.

 

[MsProudSooner]

We win the game and there are no comments? How typical.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I didn't get to see all of this game, so I can't comment on individual performances. I'm certainly not a softball expert, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

This is a very young team with freshmen and sophomores playing vital roles. Experience isn't one of our strengths. Experience reveals which players can be counted on to step up when things get dicey. What player on this team will develop into the next Kinzie Hanson, Jayda Coleman or Tiere Jennings? We have players on our roster who have the talent to develop into that type of dependable player but it takes time. The loss of Nellie for the year and Rocha being unavailable to the pitchers until recently delays the development we all want to see.

As fans, we all want the Sooners to take every series in conference 3-0. That's an unrealistic expectation. I have no doubt that our younger players will continue to learn with each game and this will be a better team at the end of the season than they were at the beginning of the season. Frankly, watching that type of growth is one reasons I prefer college sports over pro sports. Enjoy the ride, wherever it takes us!

 

[Soonerguy06]

Wondering there's any chance of a game time change due to weather tonight? Don't live in the area..

 

[womenssports]

According to weatherbug, we should have clear weather today and tomorrow. Right now, it is sunny out. Too, as of 2:00 P.M., Soonersports has 7 starting time.

 

[MsProudSooner]

This experiment stuff with pitching has not been working out. We are clearly not very good beyond our top two pitchers and whenever they are struggling our bats don't always back us up, especially against a team with a good arm. I'm definitely not seeing a national championship caliber team in the last few games at the plate but this could be our little slump we are going through... Definitely have to play better than this to win any game against Arkansas

The only way for the pitchers other than our top two pitchers to improve is for them to pitch in real games. We could allow Lowrey and Gauchino to pitch the 3rd game of series but it would wear them out and do nothing to develop a 3rd pitcher.

 

[Soonerguy06]

Well, two innings in and we are down 0-1. I feel like a broken record, but every game we start from behind because we are just bad at the plate lately in our approach. Always behind in counts makes for a lot of stress. . Arkansas just looks like the more disciplined, unaffected team right now and of course our pitching looks less than elite right now as well, also always behind in the counts.