NCAA softball: Oklahoma vs. Texas series recap

In a daunting matchup for the No. 1 seed Oklahoma Sooners on the road against rival Texas (No. 5), game one on Friday night would be their only victory, falling 2-1 in the series and dropping behind the Longhorns in D1 Softball’s Top 25.

Friday night’s opener was business as usual and thanks to graduate southpaw Kelly Maxwell’s 10 strikeouts and Jayda Coleman’s 2-4 day with a home run, the Sooners took down Texas 5-2.

But Saturday would be a different story. Oklahoma strung together hits from Coleman, Kassidy Pickering and Tiare Jennings to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first off Texas’s starter Citlaly Gutierrez , but that would be all the damage they did against the sophomore.

She would shut them down the rest of the way, allowing only three other hits on her way to a complete game and the win.

Texas struck in the bottom of the fourth as a single from Mia Scott then back-to-back doubles from Viviana Martinez and Katie Stewart put the Longhorns up for good.

Oklahoma would get a runner on in the top of the seventh but Maya Bland was thrown out at third on Rylie Boone’s double to end the game, giving Oklahoma their first loss since March 3. Final score: 2-1.

The Sunday rubber match proved to be just as low-scoring and contentious with Kelly Maxwell back in the circle for the Sooners against Teagan Kavan for the Longhorns.

Oklahoma once again scored first, this time thanks to an Ella Parker solo home run in the top of the third, but Stewart once again gave the Longhorn crowd the spark they needed, hitting a two-run shot off of Maxwell in the bottom of the fourth.

This proved to be the only offense needed as Estelle Czech shut it down in the final three frames, securing the 2-1 win, and the series upset over Oklahoma.

Oklahoma now falls to the No. 2 in the nation (35-3) while Texas leapt four spots to #1 with a record of 31-6.

Jeremy Rose is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jmr8177@psu.edu.