summer senior sports reporter

Patty Gasso

OU softball head coach Patty Gasso during the NCAA WCWS game against UCLA on June 1.

 Bob Nguyen/OU Daily

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma (56-7, 22-5 Big 12) lost to Florida (54-14, 17-7 SEC) 9-3 in the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park on Monday.

Oklahoma suffered an upset to the Gators and never got anything going consistently throughout the game. Senior shortstop Tiare Jennings went 1 for 3 and recorded two RBIs with a home run.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ loss:

Inefficient outing for Sooner pitching

After having the best four-game stretch of her season, senior pitcher Nicole May faced difficulties pitching for the first time since May 24 against Florida State.

She allowed eight hits and three runs against the Cowgirls, in which OU lost 6-2.

On Monday against Florida, May's struggles returned as the Gators had her number. She allowed two hits in the first inning, one of which was an RBI single and set the tone of the game.

The second inning seemed to be going well for the right-hander after she got two Gator batters out; then, she got into trouble.

Florida junior outfielder Kendra Falby hit a solo inside-the-park home run when senior outfielder Rylie Boone attempted to make a diving catch but was unsuccessful, as the ball got past Boone. Before the homer, Falby was in an 0 for 20 slump.

Unfortunately for May and the Sooners, the damage did not stop there.

The right-hander gave up another solo home run to Florida redshirt senior shortstop Skylar Wallace, giving Florida a 3-0 lead in the second.

May allowed two more hits in the third before sophomore pitcher Kierston Deal replaced her.

The right-hander finished her day pitching for two innings, giving up six hits, recording four errors, two strikeouts and one walk.

Despite the pitching change, the Gators’ offense continued to tally more runs.

Deal gave up a three-run home run in the fourth and a two-run homer in the fifth, as the OU pitchers could not solve the Florida offense.

Graduate transfer Karlie Keeney came in relief for Deal in the sixth. Deal pitched for 3.2 innings, recorded three strikeouts, walked four batters and allowed four hits and five runs.

Not the typical Sooners' offense

Oklahoma’s offense was hitless through the first three innings.

However, freshman utility Ella Parker recorded the Sooners’ first hit of the game in the fourth with a single, which led to their offense finding some kind of rhythm.

Freshman utility Kasidi Pickering got on base due to a fielder’s choice but led to Parker being out at second base.

Despite having two outs in the fourth, senior catcher Kinzie Hansen drove in the first run for the Sooners, after an RBI single scored Pickering.

Sophomore infielder Avery Hodge carried some of the momentum into the fifth by recording a double. Jennings then capitalized on the situation by hitting a two-run home run, her 97th career homer and 10th career home run at the Women’s College World Series.

Oklahoma was not able to do much offensively after Jennings’ homer, as they went scoreless for the next two innings but not without a last-attempt effort.

The Sooners loaded the bases in the seventh due to a series of walks. However, Boone could not score off of the situation as she flew out to end the game.

Gators snap Sooners’ postseason win streak

The last time Oklahoma lost a postseason game was to UCLA in 2022 in the Women’s College World Series, when they lost 7-3.

On Monday, Florida ended the Sooners’ postseason win streak at 20 games, beating OU on both sides of the ball.

A major factor of the game was some of Oklahoma’s most efficient batters, senior outfielder Jayda Coleman and senior infielder Alyssa Brito both went hitless on Monday.

The OU offense went 7 for 27, drew seven walks, and left 10 batters on base. However, Florida’s offense went 10 for 27 and drew 5 walks.

The Sooners now have a record of 0-4 when they are outhit by their opponents.

Next, the Sooners will face Florida again on Tuesday in an elimination game at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

 

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