OU softball run-rules Florida State, sets record with 17th straight NCAA Tournament win

NORMAN — OU softball coach Patty Gasso sensed a difference in Alyssa Brito this week.

“Very free, very loose, very competitive,” Gasso said of Brito’s demeanor leading up to the Sooners’ super regional opener against Florida State.

Brito certainly looked the part Thursday, belting two home runs and adding a double as second-seeded OU moved within one win of the Women’s College World Series with an 11-3 five-inning blowout of the Seminoles at Love’s Field.

“It’s the last time we get to play at Love’s Field together so for me, I’m just enjoying these moments,” Brito said. “Trying to take that into (Oklahoma City). Hopefully we can get there next week and take it day-by-day and pitch-by-pitch and being present in everybody’s at-bats. Just doing it together.”

It certainly was a collective effort Thursday.

Kelly Maxwell wasn’t as sharp as she’d been recently, but battled through five innings to finish the game.

Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders broke out of prolonged slumps with big hits.

Tiare Jennings tied Lauren Chamberlain with her 95th career home run and Kinzie Hansen also homered.

The Sooners’ defense also picked Maxwell up with several key plays.

OU (53-6) has now won eight consecutive games and set an NCAA record with their 17th consecutive NCAA Tournament win. The Sooners have won 15 consecutive super regional games.

It was Brito’s third multi-home run game of the season and her first since March 17 at Texas Tech. She also hit two Feb. 10 against Long Beach State in Mexico.

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Brito nearly hit one in the first inning, instead hitting one off the top part of the wall in center for a double.

The next two times, Brito left no doubt.

She hit a liner over the left-field fence to lead off the third and put OU back ahead after Florida State had tied it 2-2 in the top of the inning.

Then, Brito got the Sooners’ five-run fourth going with a towering two-run home run to center to give OU some more breathing room and kick off the big inning.

“She’s doing it all right,” Gasso said of Brito. “Leaving it on the field like she should.”

Here are two more takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

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Kelly Maxwell struggles a bit but comes through when needed

Kelly Maxwell looked mostly dominant in last week's regional sweep.

It was clear from the beginning that she wasn't as sharp Thursday, walking the first batter of the game after not walking any in nine innings across two regional appearances.

Maxwell (20-2) finished with a season-high six walks and hit two batters, but came up with big outs when it mattered most as Florida State stranded eight and went just 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position.

The Seminoles left the bases loaded in the first and left two on in two other innings.

“The message is fight through it because we all have to learn how to do that,” Gasso said. “If we get to the World Series you’ve got to fight through really tough times. So at times I’m like, ‘OK, what are we going to do?’ And (Jennifer) Rocha’s like, ‘Keep her there. Let her keep going. Let her figure it out.’ And it may not look like she did but she did, especially later in the game. So it’s a victory.”

Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen could feel Maxwell settle in after the rough start.

“Her demeanor definitely got more and more dominant as the game went on and that’s something that I really feel just being there with her through the battery and kind of the telekinesis that we have. So it’s really cool to see her fight through those things.”

More: OU softball's Tiare Jennings ties Lauren Chamberlain for 3rd on NCAA career home run list

Patty Gasso thrilled with offense

At her media availability Tuesday, Gasso talked about the importance of snapping Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders out of prolonged slumps.

Torres had been hitting the ball hard, but not finding spots. Sanders had struggled with confidence.

Both came up with critical plays Thursday.

Torres belted an RBI double into the right-center field gap in the second for her first extra-base hit since May 4.

The next batter, Sanders, belted a hard liner to left, though it was directly at Florida State left fielder Kaley Mudge.

Sanders came through in the fourth, though, snapped a 2-for-26 slump with an RBI single into the left-field corner. Sanders was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double but the RBI was critical to putting the game into run-rule territory.

The Sooners were 11 of 23 at the plate, with four home runs, no strikeouts and drew eight walks.

“Really, really good,” Gasso said of her assessment of the offense. “Really good. The best I’ve ever seen them. … Top to bottom, it’s hard to breathe when you’re facing these guys when they’re really feeling it.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma softball wins NCAA super regional opener vs Florida State