OU Softball Advances To Regional Final With 6-3 Win Over Oregon

Graduate left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell struck out eight across 7.0 innings of one-run ball as the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma softball team advanced to Sunday's NCAA Norman Regional final with a 6-3 win over No. 22/RV Oregon on Saturday afternoon at Love's Field.

Oklahoma (51-6) out-hit the Ducks (29-20) 9-4 over the course of the game and received multi-hit efforts from Jayda Coleman (2-for-3, BB, R), Ella Parker (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) and Tiare Jennings (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI). Parker and Jennings each homered, with Tiare's blast marking the 94th of her career and drawing her one shy of matching Sooner legend Lauren Chamberlain for third in NCAA history.

Maxwell settled in wonderfully following a one-out solo home run in the first, proceeding to retire 19 of the next 20 she faced. The southpaw struck out eight batters across her 7.0 innings of work, permitting just two to reach on the home run and a hit batsman. She threw 67 of her 101 pitches for strikes, working at a 66.3% strike rate.

The Sooner lefthander improved to 3-0 in her career against Oregon and now owns a 0.33 ERA lifetime vs. the Ducks, allowing just one run in 21.0 innings with a 31:0 K:BB ratio.

OU responded quickly following the Oregon first-inning home run, plating two runs of its own in the home half. Coleman led off the inning with a walk, advanced to third two batters later on a Jennings double down the left field line and scored the game-tying run on a Kasidi Pickering (0-for-1, BB, SF, RBI) sacrifice fly to left. Alyssa Brito (1-for-3, RBI) put the Sooners in front by punching an RBI single into right.

Maxwell continued her rhythm after being given a lead to pitch with, retiring 14 straight before being relieved in the seventh. Jennings and Parker added insurance for their starter by each crushing two-run home runs in the fifth and sixth innings respectively.

Oregon plated two runs off OU's bullpen in the top of the seventh before Maxwell re-entered. The Oklahoma ace promptly struck out the first batter she was asked to face then rolled up a game-ending ground-ball double play.

Up Next

OU advances to Sunday's regional final scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT at Love's Field with the "if-necessary" game set for a 4:30 p.m. start. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with radio coverage on 107.7 FM The Franchise and 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2.

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