2024 Softball Season

I’m not really worried. Lexi Kilfoyl is one of the best pitchers in the nation. In game 1, we had hits but just couldn’t bring runners home. In game 3 we make good contact but it was right at their defense. She has a sub 1 ERA. Kilfoyl and Rosenberry have the best ERA in the Big 12. Our pitching had to be on to have a chance and it was not. I will say OU’s pitchers are more hittable. It’s their offense that is scary.
 
I don't understand why hitting wasn't adjusting like they have in the past. I mean, you're facing the same pitcher as Thursday. Adjust and quit hitting grounders to the infielders!
 
I agree that Kavan seems a little shaky in these big games. I was surprised she started at LSU, and Okla. st. Gutierrez and Morgan now seem to be our most consistent and experienced starters. I think we need grind ball pitchers against these these home run hitting teams. I thought Gutierrez should have started the LSU game, and that she should have started the first and third games against Oklahoma St. My problem with Kavan is that she doesn't seem to have a good drop ball. I think she will be a really good pitcher eventually.
 
GoHorns22 said:
I agree that Kavan seems a little shaky in these big games. I was surprised she started at LSU, and Okla. st. Gutierrez and Morgan now seem to be our most consistent and experienced starters. I think we need grind ball pitchers against these these home run hitting teams. I thought Gutierrez should have started the LSU game, and that she should have started the first and third games against Oklahoma St. My problem with Kavan is that she doesn't seem to have a good drop ball. I think she will be a really good pitcher eventually.
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I think Kavan is good but she’s just a different pitcher. She’s a strikeout pitcher and she’s more up in the zone so she’s home run prone which is why she has had 5 home runs hit off her already. A 2 run homer she gave up against Stanford, a 2 run homer against LMU, a solo shot against Penn State, and then the two home runs she gave up to OSU. She throws a curve, rise, and changeup. Morgan throws a drop and a curve. She’s developing a change and actually threw a changeup but osu hit a home run off of it. Gutierrez throws a drop, curve, and offspeed curve. Simpson throws a changeup, curve and she’s trying to throw a rise but it’s not good. Czech throws a curve, changeup and rise. Matchups are everything.
 
This is going to be a tough series. I just hope we can get one win in the series! Offense does not seem a weakness for NoU. But remember last year Mac Morgan had a lead of 3-1 going into the 7th inning last year and let a NoU batter hit a homerun with 2 on to lose 4-3 in a walkoff. They are beatable plus we have better pitching this year.
 
Not feeling super-confident in this weekend series. If we'd taken 2 of 3 from OK-lite, then yes.

I do feel confident when our hitters face May and Maxwell since we've done historically well against them. Might be a HR derby tonight.
 
Maxwell is dealing early. We’ve seen this before when she’s rolling along and then BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE and the Horns walk it off.
 
I understand elite pitchers are elite for a reason, but damn our approaches are pathetic with no adjustments. They have to learn that a 2-0 count 2-1 count to stop swing at pitchers pitches, and look for a hitters pitch. We are for sure a team that hammers poor pitching and gets completely locked up by the good, that is all approach not mechanical.
 
Mac seems to do this every game she starts. She has great control, keeping the ball low in the zone, for about 3 inning. Then she starts leaving it right in the heart of the plate. First walking the lead off batter 3 innings in a row will finally get to you! She then gave Jada her home run pitch waist high in the heart of the plate! Coach White seems to leave her in just a batter or two too far.
Tough loss but we showed some grit in the final inning!!
 
Loved the fight in the 7th inning. I think we should’ve stayed patient though when Martinez almost hit into the double play. Maxwell had lost control at that point and we should’ve just let her walk us until she was forced to throw a pitch down the middle.
 
I've never seen an up have two different strike zones for two different teams like tonight's game. We always get to Maxwell in the later innings, and almost had her tonight. Patty thought it was wrapped up, put in two backup players to give them playing time and then as someone said, BOOM, Maxwell runs out of gas. It just that this time, the players surrounding Maxwell are far superior to what she had backing her up at OK-State.

The collision in fielding and the dropped ball make me want to scream. Oh wait, I did that at the game.

Henry is in a severe hitting slump and Mike needs someone else for this weekend.
 
Ellis21d said:
Mac seems to do this every game she starts. She has great control, keeping the ball low in the zone, for about 3 inning. Then she starts leaving it right in the heart of the plate. First walking the lead off batter 3 innings in a row will finally get to you! She then gave Jada her home run pitch waist high in the heart of the plate! Coach White seems to leave her in just a batter or two too far.
Tough loss but we showed some grit in the final inning!!
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I believe Mike started Mac because he wanted to keep the ball on the ground since Mac throws fastballs and drops. But this ump WOULD NOT give her the low ball and Mac had to raise and raise the ball until he would call a strike. And then raised enough, HR.
 
Missed the game yesterday but followed live stats...
Mac and Estella were fine. To "hold" OU to only 5 runs and 7 hits isn't shabby. But If we don"t figure out our hitting problems we won"t win any of our remaining competitive games. These games could identify the type of team we really are.
 
racerx5908 said:
I believe Mike started Mac because he wanted to keep the ball on the ground since Mac throws fastballs and drops. But this ump WOULD NOT give her the low ball and Mac had to raise and raise the ball until he would call a strike. And then raised enough, HR.
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Racer, what's going on at the plate? We seem to be in a funk of some sort as a team. In my opinion no one is above benching...if we don't hit we don't win, period.
 
Malcom said:
Racer, what's going on at the plate? We seem to be in a funk of some sort as a team. In my opinion no one is above benching...if we don't hit we don't win, period.
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A couple of factors:
1. You don't want to blame the ump for poor hitting, but in this case you can't help but do it. He liked "high" strikes, which the players were still adjusting to and then when Maxwell switched to lower throws, Texas players had adjusted to look for higher pitches and instead watched perfectly level balls get called strikes. And then, when Mac was pitching, she couldn't get her drop ball called for strikes and resorted to throwing change-ups and higher balls, which got blasted for a HR

2. Immaturity by the players. Maxwell was getting tired and Henry had a 3-2 count and swung at an awful ball that almost hit the dirt. Someone said, "OU has really gotten into their heads" which is true. They start swinging at anything because they couldn't trust the ump and were getting anxious to catchup. And then Bella had a 3-0 count trying to bunt. And then did an ugly pop-up bunt that the pitcher easily handled.

3. Then there were the Patty Gasso rules. We don't know what happened, but there were a few violations by OU that the umps walked back after Patty went to argue the point. The most egregious was a foul ball hit by OU that hit the third base white line, then bounced over the bag covering the outside 1/4 of the bag and landing foul. The ump was looking straight down the line. But because PATTY GASSO standing at the coaches box pushed her two arms towards the infield signaling the ball was fair, he ruled it FAIR! Mike had to go out, call a challenge and it was overturned. That initial bad call scored a run, that then had to be wiped out. Everyone stood up and was furious that the ump was relying on the word of Patty other than his eyes.

Another instance was when the OU catcher threw to first base on an obvious ball and our player didn't swing (when the count was 0-2). Mike went out and asked for an extra ball to be awarded because that was a delay in the game, which the ump thought about and then agreed. Then Patty had a word, then there was a three-ref conference, and then he reversed himself.

Two instances where the OU batter was in the box and our pitcher was about to start her windup and then the batter called for time and stayed IN THE BOX. People were yelling that batters who call time have to step out of the box and not screw with the pitchers mechanics. At the end of the inning, the ump had a long talk with Patty warning her about that stunt with her players. No penalty, just a warning for the great Patty Gasso.

It's like the "Kim Mulkey" rules when she was in the Big 12.

4. Stupid fielding errors. Players running into each other. Washington dropping an easy pop-up.
 
Added: ESPN put an extra camera on a lift outside the fence that pointed straight down the third base line. During the review, they replayed on the field screen (just once) the ball in slow motion bouncing on the white line and then landing foul. Patty was looking a the screen and then just looked down afterwards trying not to be noticed watching the replay.

Cost Mike a review. Also, during the "first score" Mike's team caught the runner leaving first early. She made it all the way to third due to a hard hit. A review cost her an out and everyone had to rewind back to their places. And then of course, they scored anyway a few pitches later.
 
Is it possible for 9 players, all to develope a mental/physical block at the same time?
 
Malcom said:
Is hitting more mental or physical?
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Its a combination, for instance Washington can only hit lower level pitching typically because she has a hole in her swing. Hitters like Atwood its more mental/approach. You can tell its mental when they are swinging at balls and taking the pitches down the middle. It means they are making their mind up to not swing or to swing before the pitch is even thrown.
 
How dadgum hard it is to NOT leave the base too early in a critical situation!
Cost Texas 2 runs and a possible win. I’m calling bull$hit. Mental error dang it.
Just increases the pressure to shut the Sooners down in the 7th.
 
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