Five games, including two more contests in the Bedlam series, separate Oklahoma softball from the postseason.
The Sooners clinched a share of the Big 12 title with two wins over the Kansas Jayhawks last weekend, but OU will take a quick break from conference play.
OU will make the short road trip to Denton, Texas, Thursday at 6 p.m. for its second meeting with the North Texas Mean Green.
Coach Patty Gasso’s squad hosted North Texas April 20 in Norman after grinding out a series win over the Baylor Bears two days prior.
Oklahoma got more rest this time around, and they’ll complete a five-game road trip with the stop in Denton.
In the first meeting, junior Erin Miller hit a two-run homer to put Oklahoma up 2-0 in the bottom of the first. However, North Texas stormed back into the ball game.
Heading to the middle of the third, North Texas took a 3-2 lead and forced the Sooners to replace junior pitcher Kelsey Stevens with Shelby Pendley.
In her relief effort, Pendley allowed zero runs, struck out seven batters and four hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Plus, freshman Kelsey Arnold put one over the wall to add two of OU’s three runs in the bottom of the third.
Oklahoma went on to win 6-3 in the Monday night meeting. Since then, Oklahoma has only dropped one game and outscored its opponents 29-8 through four games.
After taking off the night of OU’s April 20 win over North Texas, freshman Paige Parker should see the circle Thursday against the Mean Green for the first time.
She was announced as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Wednesday, which is the sixth time she’s won the award this season. She’s the fifth player in Big 12 history to win the award six times.
One of those players is former OU pitcher Keilani Ricketts, who won the award six times in 2012.
Parker struck out at Oklahoma State last weekend and gave up zero hits and zero runs against Kansas last Saturday.
She’s 23-5 this season and has become Oklahoma’s ace in the circle. Hailing from Independence, Missouri, Parker will be pivotal as Oklahoma’s regular season winds down.
