OKLAHOMA CITY — OU coach Patty Gasso has touted the depth of her pitching staff all season.

Against Florida on Monday, Gasso held true to her word. Instead of going with ace Kelly Maxwell, Gasso rolled out veteran Nicole May against the Gators.

However, the decision appeared to backfire.

The Gators offense was in a rhythm against May, logging four hits and scoring three runs through the first two innings. After May surrendered back-to-back hits to open the third inning, Gasso pulled the cord and inserted Kierston Deal. The sophomore had her own struggles, surrendering four hits and five earned runs in 3.2 innings.

Maxwell's absence was sorely missed for the Sooners, who dropped their Women's College World Series semifinal game to Florida, 9-3, at Devon Park. The loss forces an elimination, if-necessary game on Tuesday.

The Gators finished with 10 hits, marking only the third time this season the Sooners have surrendered double-digit hits in a game. The Gators' nine runs also tied a season high for an OU opponent.

Gasso didn't second-guess her decision after the game.

"We've got a staff," Gasso said. "I've got to show the staff that I believe in them. I don't care because I know this team. I know what we need. I know them. Kelly cannot take us all the way. She can't. I have to get these guys on the field. I've got to get them on the mound, I've got to get them the experience or we aren't going anywhere."

Still, it was a tough decision for Gasso.

May had been on fire coming into the game. Over her last three games, May had surrendered eight hits and only two runs while striking out 15 batters over 12 innings. Maxwell, meanwhile, had struggled in recent weeks before delivering a career-best performance in Saturday's 1-0 win over UCLA, throwing 11 strikeouts while surrendering three hits and no runs.

Gasso reiterated that she had trust in May, but there was another strategy in mind.

"What I also thought is if we were not going to win this game for some reason, then we have Kelly rested and ready to play game two, which should have been happening right now," Gasso said. "So that may have backfired on me. But it didn't because I have to pitch my pitching staff. I can't keep leaning on Kelly to take us all the way through."

Either way, the Sooners now face their toughest test.

While normally the Sooners and Gators would've played their if-necessary game on Monday evening, weather delays have moved the game to Tuesday. With a win, the Sooners will advance to the WCWS Championship Series and keep their hopes of a fourth straight title alive. With a loss, their season is over.

It'll be Maxwell in the circle on Tuesday. But Gasso made one thing clear.

"This team has to step up, as well," Gasso said. "We didn't play well enough to win this game all around. It wasn't just pitching. It was all the way around.

"We need to be really working on all cylinders tomorrow. We can't have one part of our game good and think we're going to win at the World Series. We've going to have to have all three working for us tomorrow."

Torres left Saturday's game against UCLA after she was hit in the face by a fly ball. The second baseman did not play against the Gators, forcing Avery Hodge into the starting lineup.

"Alynah has not been cleared yet," Gasso said. "There's still some, like, blood in her eye. Until that is completely gone, she will not be on the field. That's where they are right now. So she may or may not. Hopefully, but we're not going to do anything to jeopardize her either."

Hodge went one for three at the plate.

With the Sooners trailing 1-0 in the second, Kasidi Pickering forced a leadoff walk before stealing second base. She then found third on a fielder's choice.

However, the Sooners missed an opportunity to tie the game on Rylie Boone's at-bat. Boone lined out to Florida centerfielder Kendra Falby, but that gave a chance for Pickering to tag up on third base and score the tying run. Instead, she stayed on third, and Cydney Sanders struck out in the next at-bat for the final out.

Gasso, who is the third-base coach during games, took responsibility.

"That was totally my fault," Gasso said. "I own that one. That was an unbelievable play. I'm looking up. I'm telling her, 'Okay, it's through, go.' I'm looking for the next runner. That was on me. It was nothing she did wrong. I own that.

"That was just part of it. It's part of it. They made great plays. They really played some great defense. They were playing to win. You could see that."

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