Three Thoughts on Oklahoma’s 8-3 Win Over Oklahoma State
The Bedlam softball series added another high-octane chapter on Friday night with the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners taking down the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, 8-3. The Cowgirls had the best start to a season in program history this year before finding themselves in the midst of a rough stretch of games, losing seven of their last nine. The Sooners are the best team in the nation for a reason, and with a top 10 matchup between Big 12 heavyweights, here are three thoughts on the game.
WALKS ON WALKS
While the Sooners did end up playing better than the Cowgirls, if you looked at the number of walks in the game, you’d think neither team deserved to win. This edition of the Bedlam series featured two of the most feared pitchers in the Big 12 Conference in Oklahoma’s Jordy Bahl, and Oklahoma State’s Kelly Maxwell however it wasn’t a spectacular night for either. Both pitchers had a rough start to the day giving up three walks in each of their first appearances on the mound. For what it’s worth, Jordy Bahl was able to finish the game which is a rare occurrence for a member of Patty Gasso’s squad, but on a night dominated by some high-flying offense, pitching was not the crown jewel of this matchup.
AN EFFORT WAS MADE
If the game of softball only lasted one inning, the Cowgirls would have dominated this one. After getting three free passes in the first inning courtesy of a rocky start from Oklahoma pitcher Jordy Bahl, the Cowgirls jumped on top of the Sooners on a three-run bomb from outfielder Chyenne Factor that was absolutely demolished. Unfortunately for Oklahoma State, there happen to be another six innings ahead. After a big first inning at home, the Cowgirls then didn’t find a single base runner until the fifth inning and at that point, the momentum had swung to the back-to-back national champion. After Friday’s loss, the Cowgirls have now lost eight of their last ten outings and are desperate to find some positivity moving forward.
PERFECTION OR BUST
In case you didn’t know, beating the Oklahoma Sooners this season has been nearly impossible. While there have been some intense moments and close matchups, they are in pursuit of a third-straight national title for a reason. The maturity shown by Gasso’s team this season is something that fans have been able to set their clocks by. In the few outings where the Sooners have played from behind, the team has nearly always found a way to sneak out a win with the lone loss coming back on February 19th against Baylor. If facing a team that hasn’t lost in two-and-a-half months isn’t scary enough, the Sooners just took down the 6th-best team in the country with ease. It takes every ounce of perfection for seven straight innings to beat the Sooners.
