A mid-week game in March isn’t going to make or break anybody’s season. It certainly isn’t going to define Oklahoma softball.

But you can learn some things, and you can always get better. In that regard, it was check and check to those boxes for the Sooners in a 5-4 victory against visiting No. 6 Florida State on Tuesday evening in front of a sold out 1,879 fans.

It was the highest-ranked opponent to come to Norman since No. 2 Texas A&M split a two-game set vs. OU in 2007.

OU, ranked No. 1, improves to 22-1 overall and will stay home this weekend for a tournament in Oklahoma City.

“It was a fun atmosphere for us, and it felt like a postseason, it felt like a Super Regional-style game, back and forth, good play, good pitching, clutch hitting, good defense on both sides,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “It was a well-played game, I think, by both sides, very entertaining. But ultimately, the ultimate goal is for it to make us better and I feel we walked away learning a lot and becoming better for it.”

What OU learned on this evening was Jordy Bahl is working her way back to who she was during her freshman season.

Coming in relief of Alex Storako, Bahl was lights out in the final three innings. She allowed one hit and struck out six in moving to 7-1 this season. She actually struck out six batters in a row, spanning from the fifth to the seventh inning. She needed just 41 pitches.

“It's putting these athletes in position, like an example Jordy, it's been a while since she's really come in and closed,” Gasso said. She just hammered it down.”

OU got just enough offense, with home runs from Haley Lee and Tiare Jennings. Jennings and Lee both drove in two runs.

After FSU took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth, the Sooners responded with a two-spot in the bottom half and let Bahl take them home.

“It's good to exchange blows like that,” Gasson said. “We haven't had that happen for a while so it was good to see the response.”

*It was built up to be a top-tier battle and a potential Women’s College World Series preview, and it did not disappoint.

It’s something even the players could recognize.

“Our fan base is incredible,” Bahl said. “The turnout that they have every single game, whether it’s a fall inner-squad or we’re playing Florida State, a top-ranked team. So it’s definitely very energizing. You feel it. They bring it. But I’d say also that the energy that our team brought out — we love the competition that we got to face this early in the season. So that just fuels us. Like coach said, it was kind of a postseason feel. Whenever you can get that in March, that’s pretty cool.”

* OU once again was playing without captain Grace Lyons. Jennings has fared well in the move to shortstop as Lyons continues to battle back, and Gasso is hopeful Lyons will be able to return this weekend.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just energy-wise,” Gasso said. “The hope is to see her on the field in some capacity this weekend if things work out that way.”