On a day marked by Texas’s overwhelming victory against Texas Tech, the Sooners suffered a significant setback against Oklahoma State, reshaping the landscape of the Big 12 standings. Following a lengthy weather delay of three hours and 23 minutes, the Bedlam series resumed, but the Sooners lacked their usual vigor. Ranked No. 2, Oklahoma succumbed to No. 4 Oklahoma State with a score of 6-2, marking a crucial loss in the Big 12 conference series on Saturday evening at Love’s Field. This defeat represents only the second time OU has lost a three-game Big 12 series and the first time at home, with Texas being the only other team to beat them in a Big 12 series this season.
This loss at home is notable as it marks OU’s first home series defeat (before the Big 12 played three-game series) since April 14-15, 2006, against Texas, and their first home series loss to Oklahoma State since 1997. The game played out in front of a crowd of 4,534 at Love’s Field, underscoring the significance of the matchup.
BAD TIMING
Nicole May had begun the day on a dominant run. She threw the most pitches this season since OU took down Baylor on March 23, where she threw 89 pitches. She held OSU to just one run, which came by a solo blast from Oklahoma State’s Caroline Wang in the 5th inning that tied the game at 1.
But after that May and the Sooners’ pitching staff fell apart in the sixth inning as they gave up a total of five runs. It began as May threw into the 6th inning for just the second time this season – in the last outing, she threw all six innings against Texas Tech.
Just after the Sooners had earned a one-run advantage, May gave up back-to-back home runs. First, Claire Timm hit a solo home run over the right field wall to tie the game again, this time at 2. Then Micaela Wark followed by hitting a solo home run to give OSU the lead for the first time of the day.
BAD HITTING
Earlier in the season when the Sooners had their struggles, they just weren’t able to string hits together. However throughout the Oklahoma State series, the Sooners have struggled all around at the plate.
The Sooners constantly stranded runners and just couldn’t find their rhythm. Alyssa Brito had worked a 3-0 count with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, but would eventually strike out. And one batter later, OU couldn’t score.
The two runs for OU on Saturday came by way of a great slide by Brito into home plate on a Kasidi Pickering RBI single and a Alynah Torres bases loaded walk. Other than that, the Sooners could not get anything going.
Alynah Torres got the Sooners bats going in the bottom of the second inning after slapping a double down the right field line.
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