The Sooners’ pitching rotation battled ups and downs in its three-game road trip in Houston despite earning victories in all three games.
In her first appearance of the weekend, redshirt senior pitcher Giselle “G” Juarez gave up a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of OU’s first game against Houston. That would be the first hit against the Glendale, Arizona native, as well as the first runs scored on her this season.
Juarez would give up another home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and left the circle having allowed five hits and four runs in four innings.
“Giselle didn’t throw her best this last weekend,” head coach Patty Gasso said in a Wednesday press conference. “She looked a little unsettled. I need Giselle to get back into her groove.”
Over three games, the Sooners gave up a total of 11 hits and seven runs, including three home runs in the two games against Houston. However, OU got to see several of its pitchers enter the circle this weekend, giving the younger arms some much needed experience.
“I think we’ve got so many options, which is kind of cool,” Gasso said. “Especially if we have any kind of injuries or so forth.”
The Sooners also had to play without the likes of redshirt sophomore pitcher Brooke Vestal due to COVID-19 protocols, along with redshirt senior utility Nicole Mendes and senior infielders Jana Johns and Taylon Snow. However, Gasso announced she will be bringing the entire team to the GCU-ASU Classic on Friday after the four sidelined players all strangely tested negative.
Although the pitching staff for the Sooners struggled at some points during the weekend, redshirt senior pitcher Shannon Saile made her season debut in the circle and put her talents on full display. The Land O’ Lakes, Florida native recorded nine strikeouts and only allowed one hit after pitching four-and-two-thirds innings in three games.
Saile did not travel with the team during its first four games of the season in El Paso, Texas due to an injury. Her triumphant return to the circle was a big boost for Oklahoma. Patience was the key in Saile’s journey to get back on the field.
“I’m feeling a lot better,” Saile said Wednesday. “Just a lot of rehab and staying very diligent with it. A lot of frustrations, but I just had to stay consistent with the rehab to get back and I feel that I’m getting there a lot faster.”
With the Sooners’ upcoming schedule containing many talented squads, Saile believes it will be a good test for the team. And while the team knows it has work to do to reach its desired level of play, the Sooners believe this season could be a historic one.
“I do believe there (are) going to be some times where we’re going to be frustrated, but I think it’s going to prepare us in the end,” Saile said. “With the conference being the way that it's looking right now, I think there is going to be a lot of exciting softball coming up.
“I think everyone just looks like they’re gelling at the right time and we do have something special. I think the more good competition we play along the road, it's just going to be opportunity after opportunity.”
