OU Softball Wins 9th Big 12 Tournament Title, 5-1 Over Texas

For the ninth and final time, the University of Oklahoma softball team has claimed the Big 12 tournament championship.

No. 4/4 and second-seeded Oklahoma (49-6) received a brilliant start from graduate left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell to down the top-seeded and unanimously-No. 1-ranked Longhorns (47-7) in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship final on Saturday evening in Oklahoma City.

Maxwell struck out seven while limiting Texas to a lone run across 5.1 innings in front of 4,003 fans at Devon Park. The southpaw scattered three walks and a pair of hits while throwing 47 of her 80 pitches for strikes (58.8%). She induced 12 swinging strikes, working at a 15% whiff rate, showcasing her electric stuff against the nation's top lineup by batting average.

Oklahoma saw each of its first three batters reach base to open the first inning, plating two runs in the frame. Jayda Coleman led off the game by reaching on an error, advanced to second on an Ella Parker single then scored on Tiare Jennings' 300th collegiate hit, a ringing double off the wall in right-center. Two batters later, Kinzie Hansen brought home Parker with a fielder's choice to make it 2-0 Sooners.

Jennings became the fourth Sooner in program history to reach 300 career hits with her double in the first, joining Jocelyn Alo (343), Norrelle Dickson (328) and Sydney Romero (320).

Texas struck for its first run of the night on a two-out RBI triple in the second. Maxwell settled into a rhythm after the lone blemish on her night, earning her 18th win of the season and second of the tournament.

The Sooners responded with some two-out hitting of their own in the top of the third, plating a pair on an Alyssa Brito single and Hansen's eighth double of the season. OU took advantage of a Texas miscue that allowed Alynah Torres to reach an inning later in the fourth, advancing her to third before Rylie Boone scored her with a single back up the middle.

UT threatened with one down in the sixth, putting two aboard against Maxwell with a walk and a hit batsman. Oklahoma called on senior right-hander Nicole May out of the pen, handing the ball off to its Opening Day starter and longest-tenured pitcher. May immediately induced a foul-out and a strikeout to end the inning, stranding both runners on.

The Sooner reliever struck out two in a 1-2-3 seventh, securing the conference championship with her fifth career save.

OU freshman designated player Ella Parker was named the tournament's most-outstanding-player after batting .700 (7-for-10) across the week, driving in five runs and scoring six times while collecting three extra-base hits. Alyssa Brito, Kierston Deal, Kinzie Hansen and Kelly Maxwell joined her on the Big 12 All-Tournament team. Parker becomes the Sooners' ninth most-outstanding-player honoree.

UP NEXT

OU will await its NCAA Tournament assignment, which will be announced Sunday, May 12 via the NCAA Selection Show on ESPN2 beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT. The NCAA Regionals begin May 17 and run through May 19 with the Super Regionals set for May 23-25 and the Women's College World Series starting May 30.

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