Ryan Aber,Colton SulleyThe Oklahoman
Coach Patty Gassoand thesecond-seeded OU softball teamwill look to move to the Women's College World Series semifinals with a win on Saturday against UCLA.
Here's what you need to know about the Sooners (55-6) and Bruins (43-10):
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Final: OU defeats UCLA 1-0
Kelly Maxwell works a one-two-three inning to finish a complete game shutout.
The Sooners advance to Monday's 11 a.m. WCWS semifinals against either Alabama, Florida or Texas.
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End 6: Rylie Boone singles, OU doesn't add to lead
Rylie Boone reached with a bunt single to third base but OU didn't generate any other offense.
Kasidi Pickering and Avery Hodge struck out.
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Mid-6: Kelly Maxwell reaches double figures in strikeouts
Kelly Maxwell found herself in a bit of a jam in the sixth, with a walk and a single giving the Bruins a chance to break through finally.
But Maxwell, as she's done all day, fought her way out of it.
She struck out pinch-hitter Ramsey Suarez with two outs to end the inning and keep the shutout going.
Maxwell has 10 strikeouts and just three walks through six innings.
End 5: Sooners can't extend lead
UCLA switched pitchers, but OU's offense still couldn't get anything going.
Taylor Tinsley retired the side in order in the fifth to keep the Sooners' lead at 1-0.
OU has just three hits.
Mid-5: Kelly Maxwell strikes out Maya Brady ... again
UCLA star Maya Brady had struck out just 16 times coming into Saturday's game.
Kelly Maxwell has her number so far.
Maxwell struck out Brady for the third time, getting her swinging on a 1-2 pitch for the second out in the fifth before getting a fly ball to right to end the inning.
Brady hadn't struck out three times in a game since 2021.
She'd struck out twice in a game just once this season —Stanford's NiJaree Canady struck out Brady twice April 19.
End 4: Cydney Sanders reaches base again
Cydney Sanders reached base for the second consecutive plate appearance, but it wasn't enough to get anything going.
Sanders was hit by a pitch with two outs in the inning, but Kaitlyn Terry got Jayda Coleman to fly out to center to end the game.
Mid-4: UCLA gets first hit off Kelly Maxwell
After three hitless innings, UCLA finally broke through for one off OU starter Kelly Maxwell.
Jordan Woolery singled up the middle with one out, but Maxwell quickly retired the next two to keep the Sooners in front 1-0.
End 3: Tiare Jennings puts Sooners ahead
UCLA centerfielder Janelle Meono looked like she had a bead on it.
Tiare Jennings had sent a high fly ball to center that had a chance, but as OU's Jayda Coleman has made apparent in recent years, home runs can be robbed from the Devon Park fence.
It wasn't until Meono crashed to the ground and the second-base umpire raised his arm to signal home run that the large pro-OU crowd was fully sent into a frenzy.
Jennings' home run, her ninth career home run in the WCWS, put the Sooners ahead 1-0.
Meono got another chance quickly, though.
Three batters later, Kasidi Pickering send another blast out to the same area.
This time, though, Meono came up with the grab for the second out of the inning.
Mid-3: Alynah Torres hit by fly ball
OU second baseman Alynah Torres looked up into the afternoon sky and lost the ball.
With runners at first and second and one out, Kelly Maxwell got Jadelyn Allchin to pop up to second base.
But Torres lost it and the ball crashed down near Torres’ eye, shattering her glasses, knocking Torres to the dirt and sending the ball bouncing back toward the UCLA dugout.
Allchin was out on the infield fly, but the runners advanced a base.
Torres left the game and was replaced at second by Avery Hodge.
“That’s tough,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said of Torres and the play on the ABC broadcast. “Really tough. I don’t know if you’ll see her the rest of the game.”
Maxwell got out of the jam, striking out Sharlize Palacios to end the inning.
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End 2: Sooners can't get anything going
After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, Kaitlyn Terry didn't face any such trouble against the Sooners in the second.
Terry quickly got the first two batters out before Cydney Sanders drew a walk.
Terry then got Jayda Coleman to bounce out to her to end the inning.
Mid-2: Kelly Maxwell breezes through second
Kelly Maxwell quickly worked a 1-2-3 second, striking out two.
Through two innings, Maxwell has four strikeouts and no walks.
End 1: Sooners load the bases but can't break through
Jayda Coleman hit the deck, and shortly thereafter, the celebration began.
Coleman, one half of the Sooners' "Chaos Coordinator" duo, drew a leadoff walk on a high inside pitch to lead off the Sooners' half of the first.
After the third-base umpire ruled Coleman hadn't offered at the pitch, the OU center fielder jumped to her feet and yelled toward her dugout in celebration.
Tiare Jennings quickly followed with a single to left center and the Sooners were in business.
But UCLA pitcher Kaitlyn Terry battled out of the jam, striking out Ella Parker and then getting Alyssa Brito to fly out to left.
A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third and Terry walked Kasidi Pickering to load the bases for Kinzie Hansen. Terry strukc out Hansen to end the OU threat.
Mid-1: Kelly Maxwell strikes out two
Kelly Maxwell got off to a quick start for OU, striking out the first two batters she faced, including UCLA leadoff hitter Maya Brady.
Maxwell looked liked she'd retired the side in order, getting Sharlize Palacios to ground back to her. But the ball bounced away and Maxwell tried to flip it to first baseman Cydney Sanders with her glove.
The flip was on target, but Sanders couldn't handle it and Palacios made it on the error. But Maxwell quickly got the next hitter to bounce out to second.
Pregame update: Kelly Maxwell starting once again for Sooners
For the second consecutive game to start the Women's College World Series, Kelly Maxwell will start in the circle for OU.
Maxwell (20-2, 1.96 ERA) threw 3 2/3 innings in Thursday's 9-1 win over Duke, striking out four and walking four.
UCLA will start Kaitlyn Terry (21-1, 2.35), who started the Bruins' 4-1 win over Alabama on Thursday. Terry threw four innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
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What time does OU softball vs.UCLA start?
- Date:Saturday, June 1
- Time:2 p.m. CT
- Where:Devon Park in Oklahoma City
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What channel is OU softball vs.UCLAon today?
- TV:ABC
- Streaming:ESPN+
- How to watch online:Watch ESPN (here's how to stream it live)
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