OU softball keeps momentum building with run-rule win vs Kansas to open Big 12 Tournament

With a lineup like OU’s, it can be easy to dial down the aggressiveness on the basepaths and at the plate.

But with the Sooners sometimes struggling to string together offense late in the regular season, Gasso dialed up the aggressiveness to opener the Big 12 Tournament.

The results were swift.

OU opened the tournament with a 10-1 five-inning victory over Kansas on Thursday at Devon Park.

The second-seeded Sooners (47-6) advance to take on BYU in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday.

The Cougars upset No. 3-seed Oklahoma State in Thursday’s opener.

In the first, Sooners coach Patty Gasso sent Rylie Boone to get in a rundown with Kinzie Hansen on third. Boone was ultimately tagged out but not before Hansen streaked home for OU’s fifth run of the first inning.

In the second, Ella Parker raced home on a squeeze bunt, scoring on an error at the plate. Then Brito raced home on a wild pitch later in the inning that just skipped a few feet away from Kansas catcher Lyric Moore.

“It’s fun to coach that way,” Gasso said. “It’s kind of hard at times, they’re such good hitters you don’t want to take the bat out of their hands but they’re also very good with contact. They can hit bad pitches or not great pitches hard. I think we really wanted to make whoever we’re playing feel that way right from the start.”

Gasso and several of her players said they felt like Sunday’s 8-2 win over Oklahoma State felt like a turning point.

The Sooners sure made it look that way against the Jayhawks, with five runs in the first, three more in the second and two more in the third.

“Even our practices this week have just been so gritty, blue collar,” Tiare Jennings said. “We had so much more competition. We were kind of going at it back and forth, just competing with one another. But it was fun. Then coming into today I think it transferred over from the work we put in this week. So I really liked how the team responded. … You can tell there’s something going on with this team right now.”

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ victory:

More: How OU softball is embracing not being Big 12 Tournament favorites for first time

Tiare Jennings breaks out of slump

Heading into the tournament, Sooners captain Kinzie Hansen pulled Tiare Jennings aside, with Alyssa Brito nearby for support.

"Hey, you're going to get it," Hansen said. "It's going to come."

Jennings entered the tournament 4 for her last 29 over the final eight games of the regular season.

In the opener, Jennings was 2 for 2 with a run and a hit-by-pitch. It was Jennings’ first multi-hit game since April 19.

"I think obviously I was just kind of in a slump, either trying too hard, or I'm going to swing and see what happens," Jennings said.

Jennings said the talk from her teammates helped.

"Having those people in your inner circle, that's going to keep you positive and keep you confident no matter what you're doing," she said. "It's good to know they can always keep me accountable. Let loose, smile, let go. I think that's what helped me throughout this time and keep the trend — no matter the outcome, just keep having fun."

More: Can OU softball win the Big 12 tournament? Postseason predictions

Kelly Maxwell settles in

The last time she faced the Jayhawks, March 28 in Lawrence, Kelly Maxwell took a no-hitter into the seventh and struck out the first two batters she faced in the final innings to move within one out of a no-hitter.

Maxwell ultimately gave up a solo home run before finishing off the complete-game victory.

Thursday, it took just two pitches for Kansas to break up the no-hitter, as leadoff hitter Presley Limbaugh delivered an infield single.

Kansas took the quick lead two batters later on Lyric Moore’s RBI single.

But from there, Maxwell buckled down, and didn’t allow any more hits as she went just three innings before giving way to Paytn Monticelli with the Sooners up 10-1.

More: OU softball seeking 'revenge' as Sooners head into final Big 12 Tournament before SEC move

Surprising rematch

The Sooners had expected to play Oklahoma State in the semifinals to have a chance to avenge last weekend’s series loss to the Cowgirls.

But OSU’s loss to BYU sets up a different kind of revenge match.

The Sooners won the series against the Cougars late in the season at Love’s Field but fell 9-4 in the second game of that series, April 12.

"We learned a lot," Gasso said. "They can swing. They can play. They're gamers. I know right now they're fighting to get into the postseason. I would think they would make it because of their resume and some of their win. They're tough outs. Our pitching staff is going to have to be really good and pinpoint things because they can cover the zone really well. They hit hard.

"This is going to be a tough matchup."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball run-rules Kansas to advance to Big 12 Tournament semifinal