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After picking up a run-rule win in their opener in the Cowgirl Challenge, the Oklahoma Sooners kept the good times rolling in their nightcap with the 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier McNeese State.
It was another decisive win for the Sooners. However, they were forced to play from behind due to a first inning home run from McNeese State’s Corine Poncho off of Sooners starter Kelly Maxwell.
She left the ball high and over the plate and Poncho made her pay for it with a drive to deep center field. Maxwell rebounded with a masterful performance over the remainder of her five innings pitched.
After the home run, Maxwell allowed just two more hits the rest of the way and racked up eight strikeouts without allowing a walk to lead the Sooners to the 8-1 win.
It didn’t take long for the Sooners to respond to the early deficit. After going down in order in the top of the second, Ella Parker led off the top of the second with an infield single and Kinzie Hansen drove a ball up the middle for a single of her own. After Kasidi Pickering’s fielder’s choice put runners on first and third with one, Cydney Sanders struck out on a 3-2 pitch. But with two outs in the inning, Rylie Boone came through in the clutch once again with a two-RBI single to center field to give the Sooners the 2-1 lead.
Maxwell pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the second for the shutdown inning and the Sooners went right back to the work in the top of the third with a lead-off single from Jayda Coleman. Coleman advanced to second on a wild pitch.
After another infield single from Alyssa Brito, Coleman and Brito scored on a bunt single from Tiare Jennings and a throwing error to put the Sooners up 4-1. Hansen then drove in Jennings on a sacrifice fly to end the inning with a commanding 5-1 lead.
Though they had opportunities to add to the lead in the fourth and fifth after getting their lead-off hitter on base, the Sooners couldn’t capitalize. However, Oklahoma took advantage of Cydney Sanders’ lead-off single in the sixth. Rylie Boone earned her second base hit of the game and fourth of the day to move Sanders to second. A sacrifice bunt from Alynah Torres moved Sanders and Boone into scoring position for Jayda Coleman, who drove Sanders in with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1. Then Alyssa Brito hammered her fourth home run of the season on a 2-2 count to put Oklahoma up 8-1.
𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐎
@alyss_33 launches a two-run blast and it’s all Sooners in the sixth!↓6 | OU 8, MSU 1#ChampionshipMindset | ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/WBC57lfsFv
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 17, 2024
Karlie Keeney relieved Maxwell in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings to finish off the Cowgirls and move to 6-0 on the season. With the win, the Sooners winning streak moves to 59 games ahead of their double-header on Saturday.
Maxwell is now 3-0 on the season and has allowed just four hits in 12.2 innings of work. The opposition is hitting just .098 off of Maxwell in the early stages of the season.
#ChampionshipMindset X @kellymax28 pic.twitter.com/xwQJ2hluTz— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 17, 2024
Brito finished the day 3-for-4, and Hansen and Boone also collected multi-hit games. It was Boone’s second game of the day with a pair of hits. Boone and Brito are now hitting .500 on the season. Brito is tied with Kasidi Pickering for the team lead in RBIs with seven. Boone is just two off the pace with five RBIs in 2024 after collecting four between the two games on Friday.
The Sooners are back in action on Saturday with games against Lamar and McNeese State. The game against Lamar can be streamed on SoonerSports.com while the matchup with McNeese State will be streamed on ESPN+.
More: How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Sooners in Cowgirl Challenge
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By: John Williams
Title: Kelly Maxwell throws a gem in Sooners 8-1 win over McNeese State
Sourced From: soonerswire.usatoday.com/2024/02/16/oklahoma-sooners-softball-kelly-maxwell-alyssa-brito-mcneese-state-cowgirls-rylie-boone-cowgirl-challenge/
Published Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 04:59:34 +0000
