Coach Patty Gasso and the second-seeded OU softball team will look to bounce back from their first loss of the Women’s College World Series on Tuesday against fourth-seeded Florida to clinch a spot in the championship series.
The winner will face top-seeded Texas in a best-of-three series starting Wednesday night at Devon Park.
Here’s what you need to know when the Sooners (56-6) take on the Gators (54-14):
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OU softball live score updates vs. Florida
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When she gets hold of one, no one has more power on OU’s roster than Cydney Sanders.
Sanders got a hold of one in the fourth inning, belting Keagan Rothrock’s 1-0 offering over the center field fence for a two-run home run to cut OU’s deficit to 5-4.
Kasidi Pickering started the inning with a single and two batters later, Sanders hit the Sooners’ second two-run homer of the day.
After giving up home runs in each of the first three innings, Kelly Maxwell retired the Gators in order in the fourth.
Maxwell struck out two in the inning and is up to seven strikeouts in the game.
After scoring two in the first, and threatening in the second, OU went down quietly in the third off Keagan Rothrock, with a grounder and two quick fly balls to end the inning with Florida leading 5-2.
Reagan Walsh reached out and poked Kelly Maxwell’s first pitch of the at-bat barely over the wall in left to extend Florida’s lead to 5-2.
Before that, Maxwell had struck out five consecutive Gators, including Jocelyn Erickson.
The home run was the third allowed by Maxwell in the game. Maxwell allowed just 12 all season and had allowed multiple home runs just twice.
Tiare Jennings got just under one, flying out to left to end the inning after the Sooners put runners on the corner with two outs in the second.
OU trails Florida, 4-2.
After the first two batters were retired, Avery Hodge and Jayda Coleman had back-to-back singles, Coleman’s of the bunt variety, before Jennings just missed on Keagan Rothrock’s 2-2 offering.
Ariel Kowalewski belted a two-run home run off Kelly Maxwell after Maxwell walked the leadoff hitter in the second to put Florida back in front by two.
Kowalewski’s homer was the sixth of the last two games for the Gators against the Sooners.
The Sooners have surrendered 47 home runs this season, after allowing just 38 combined over the previous two season.
Maxwell came back to strike out the next three hitters to get out of the inning without further damage.
OU’s offense took awhile to get going in Monday’s game.
Tuesday, the Sooners appeared to make some adjustments on Gators starter Keagan Rothrock.
Tiare Jennings hit a hard grounder to left center for a double with one out and then freshman Ella Parker, who had two hits off Rothrock on Monday, crushed a 1-0 pitch well over the center field wall to tie the game.
The home run was Parker’s 13th of the season.
The Sooners threatened further damage, with runners on first and second with one out, but Kasidi Pickering grounded into a double play to end the inning.
SEC Player of the Year Jocelyn Erickson, who transferred from OU to Florida in the offseason, belted Kelly Maxwell’s 1-1 pitch out to right field to give Florida an early 2-0 lead.
Maxwell started the inning by walking Skylar Wallace, who homered twice in Florida’s win over the Sooners on Monday. Two batters later, Erickson hit the home run.
After Patty Gasso chose to start Nicole May in the circle in Monday’s loss to Florida, Gasso went with Kelly Maxwell in the circle for the must-win game Tuesday.
Maxwell (21-2, 1.86 ERA) was exvellent in her last outing, throwing a two-hit shutout in Saturday’s 1-0 win over UCLA.
Keagan Rothrock, who threw a complete game against the Sooners on Monday, will once again be in the circle for Florida.
OU softball highlights vs. Florida
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What time does OU softball vs. Florida start?
- Date: Tuesday, June 5
- Time: 1 p.m. CT
- Where: Devon Park, Oklahoma City
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What channel is OU softball vs. Florida on today?
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Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
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