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 series championships.
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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Live score updates from OU softball vs. Florida
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End 4: Cydney Sanders cuts Florida’s lead
When she gets one, no one has more power on OU’s roster than Cydney Sanders.
Sanders hit one in the fourth inning, beating 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 led off the inning with a single and two batters later, Sanders hit the Sooners’ second two-run homer of the day.
Mid-4: Kelly Maxwell retires the team in order
After giving up homers 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 has up to seven strikeouts in the game.
Ending 3: The Sooners quickly retired
After scoring two runs in the first and threatening in the second, OU went down quietly in the third to Keagan Rothrock, with a grounder and two fastballs to end the inning with Florida leading 5-2.
Mid-3: Kelly Maxwell’s strikeout streak ends with third homer
Reagan Walsh reached out and pushed Kelly Maxwell’s first pitch at bat barely over the wall in left to extend Florida’s lead to 5-2.
Before that, Maxwell had retired five straight Gators, including Jocelyn Erickson.
The home run was the third allowed by Maxwell in the game. Maxwell has only allowed 12 all season and has only allowed multiple homers twice.
Ending 2: The earlier ones cannot break through
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 out, Avery Hodge and Jayda Coleman hit back-to-back singles, Coleman’s of the bunt variety, before Jennings narrowly missed Keagan Rothrock’s 2-2 offering.
Mi-2: Florida maintains its RH barrier
Ariel Kowalewski hit a two-run homer off Kelly Maxwell after Maxwell walked the leadoff batter in the second to put Florida back in front by two.
Kowalewski’s homer was the sixth in the Gators’ last two games against the Sooners.
The Sooners have allowed 47 home runs this season, after allowing just 38 total in the previous two seasons.
Maxwell returned to strike out the next three batters to get out of the inning without further damage.
End 1: Ella Parker’s two-run homer ties the game
OU’s offense was slow to get going in Monday’s game.
On Tuesday, the Sooners appeared to make some adjustments to Gators starter Keagan Rothrock.
Tiare Jennings hit a hard grounder in left center for a one-out double, then freshman Ella Parker, who had two hits against Rothrock on Monday, crushed a 1-0 pitch well over the center wall of ground to tie the match.
The home run was Parker’s 13th of the season.
The Sooners threatened to do more damage, with runners on first and second with one out, but Kasidi Pickering grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Mid-1: Former Sooner Jocelyn Erickson takes Kelly Maxwell deep
SEC Player of the Year Jocelyn Erickson, who transferred from OU to Florida in the offseason, scored on Kelly Maxwell’s 1-1 pitch to right field to give Florida an early 2- 0.
Maxwell started the inning by walking Skylar Wallace, who hit two home runs in Florida’s win over the Sooners on Monday. Two batters later, Erickson hit the home run.
Pregame update: Kelly Maxwell starts for Sooners
After Patty Gasso opted to bring Nicole May into the circle in Monday’s loss to Florida, Gasso went with Kelly Maxwell in the circle for Tuesday’s must-win game.
Maxwell (21-2, 1.86 ERA) was excellent in her last outing, pitching a two-hit shutout in Saturday’s 1-0 win over UCLA.
Keagan Rothrock, who pitched a complete game against the Sooners on Monday, will be in the circle again for Florida.
OU Softball Highlights vs. Florida
More:OU softball coach Patty Gasso foiled by not starting Kelly Maxwell against Florida
What time does OU softball start against Florida?
- Date: Tuesday June 5
- Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
- Or: Devon Park, Oklahoma City
More:Oklahoma softball assistant JT Gasso’s ‘Boone Slap’ gives Sooners another offensive weapon
What channel is OU softball vs Florida on today?
More:OU softball falls short against Florida with shot in WCWS final, forcing rematch
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