Why OU softball's pitching depth is critical during run in Women's College World Series
OU’s Kierston Deal came in and the door slammed shut for Duke.
In the fourth inning of Thursday’s Women’s College World Series opener for the Sooners, OU coach Patty Gasso went with a sophomore in the circle after Kelly Maxwell showed issues with her control for the second consecutive start.
Deal — with some major help from Jayda Coleman’s diving catch in center field — got out of the fourth and then threw two more shutout innings to earn the win as OU added five more runs and ultimately won 9-1 in six innings.
There wasn’t much offense in Thursday’s action.
No team other than the Sooners scored more than four runs. There were two shutouts. Two other teams scored just a single run.
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The 20 combined runs scored in the first round was the fewest since 2011 when there were 14 runs scored in the four opening-round games.
The first round showcased just how strong the pitching is in the tournament — with Florida’s Keagan Rothrock, Texas’ Teagan Kavan, Stanford’s NiJaree Canady and Oklahoma State’s Lexi Kilfoyl among the premier arms in the field.
Kelly Maxwell has been the Sooners’ ace this season and the Sooners’ staff as a whole has been strong.
OU enters Saturday’s matchup with UCLA, scheduled for 2 p.m. at Devon Park and set to be televised on ABC, with the sixth-best team ERA in the nation.
The only team in the field with a better ERA than the Sooners is the Blue Devils.
While Maxwell has been the ace this season, and figures to continue to be OU’s go-to arm during the remainder of their run through the tournament, the Sooners’ pitching depth is what gives them a chance to stand apart.
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Deal, Nicole May and Karlie Keeney give the Sooners an opportunity to match up with opposing offenses.
Thursday, it was Deal who made the most sense.
At other times recently, it’s been May or Keeney that have come on to get critical outs.
“Not one person can win it in the box, but not one person can win it on the mound either,” Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen said. “Kelly would say she didn’t have her best day. Her drop ball was moving pretty nice from behind the plate.
“It’s good to be able to bounce pitchers off of each other. So KD came in in that clutch situation with the bases loaded and got us out of there. I think she was spinning the ball really well. I have a lot of fun when both of them are on the mound. I thought it was really fun.
"Jayda made that great diving catch. Our defense was on fire. Just to be able to see all three pieces of our game together, kind of weave together, especially in the postseason at the World Series, it’s beautiful. Excited for the next few games.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball's pitching depth critical during Sooners' 2024 WCWS run
