OKLAHOMA CITY — There were a few things that cost Oklahoma in the 4-2 loss to Texas on Saturday.
The litany of defensive mistakes that allowed the Longhorns to take an early 2-0 lead didn't help. Neither did the solo home runs that the Sooners allowed in the fifth and sixth inning, which eventually pushed the game out of reach.
But Patty Gasso immediately zoomed in on the biggest issue — the offense.
The Sooners (51-8) went scoreless in six of seven innings. They finished with seven hits, but ultimately left nine runners stranded. That proved particularly costly, and it has the Sooners now facing elimination against Oregon (6 p.m. Sunday, ESPN2).
"We talked as a group that our offensive mindset was not like it has been, and that made a difference," Gasso said after the game.
"The biggest issue that is circled on the paper is nine runners left on base, and that cannot happen against a good team like Texas."
A lot of that credit goes to Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, who delivered in a crucial spot. It was a big unexpected — Kavan struggled mightily when the two teams met in Norman back in April, allowing 14 earned runs and 12 hits in just 4.1 innings that weekend.
But Kavan was lights out against the Sooners. Her eight strikeouts marked the most she's had in a game since April 11. She also allowed just two walks. She made the Sooners work, and she sniffed out the few opportunities OU had to rally.
"Kavan had a really good game," OU batter Ella Parker said. "She's a really good pitcher. I think our in-game adjustments weren't locked in. That's something we needed to work on."
It looked early like the Sooners would have success against Kavan like they did in Norman. They logged two base hits from Gabbie Garcia and Parker in the first inning — though both were left stranded — and they added two runs in the second inning on RBIs from Abigale Dayton and Kasidi Pickering. Those runs were crucial, tying the game at 2-2 after the Longhorns took the lead in the bottom of the first.
But the Sooners' offense stalled from there. They had just three base hits over the final five innings. When they did have opportunities, they struggled to capitalize.
Tia Milloy sat at third base with only one out as the tying run in the sixth inning. But Maya Bland struck out and Dayton fouled out to leave her stranded.
In the seventh inning, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Parker hit back-to-back singles to give the Sooners two base runners in the seventh. It felt like the late-game heroics that lifted them against Tennessee on Thursday were resurfacing. Instead, Hannah Coor and Garcia both struck out to leave them stranded.
It's been a tough slog for the Sooners' offense at the WCWS, particularly compared to how they played before arriving in OKC. In the regional and super regional tournaments, the Sooners recorded a team batting average of .414 (48-of-116) at the plate.
They're batting 12-for-53 at the plate (.226 batting average) in the WCWS and have gone scoreless in 11 of 14 innings. It took a three-run walk off homer from Parker to lift the Sooners over Tennessee.
"We're just trying to get runners in scoring position, and I don't know what else to say except it's not that they weren't trying," Gasso said. "There was a little bit of frustration going on in the offensive side of things, and you could feel it, just a little bit of uncertainty (of) what should I look for, what should I choose?
"But I think the goal is just getting runners in scoring position, and we did have a couple of those opportunities that could have changed, would have, could have, but didn't. And that's the toughness of this game."
The good news for the Sooners? Their run for a fifth straight national championship isn't over yet. The loss to Texas simply makes their path murkier.
Adversity is nothing new for the Sooners. They know the offense has to be better. And now Gasso gets to see her team respond.
"We're not done yet," Gasso said, "But I can't tell you how proud I am of what this group is doing and how they've gotten here, and I just am really anxious to see how they go forward."
Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!
Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!
Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!
