Oklahoma softball: Sooners shut out in World Series opener

After shutting out four of its five 2018 NCAA postseason opponents, Oklahoma softball was a shutout victim itself in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series.

The No. 4-seeded Sooners fell to Washington 2-0 in game two of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday in Oklahoma City. It was only Oklahoma’s fourth loss in 59 games this season.

A brilliant pitching performance by Washington freshman Gabbie Plain silenced the Oklahoma bats and handed the two-time defending national champions only their second shutout loss in 43 WCWS games.

Oklahoma was held to six hits in the game, all singles, and only three of those hits left the infield.

Washington pushed across two runs in the top of the fifth inning, helped along by a couple of OU misplays in the field. The Huskies had the opportunity to blow the game wide open in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and no outs. That’s when Paige Parker came back in the game, in relief, after being taken out in the fifth inning with Washington threatening and managed to avoid disaster for the Sooners by retiring the three batters she faced, stranding the three base runners.

Parker started the game for Oklahoma but struggled through the first five inning. Her pitch count was high, and she was behind in the count to a majority of the batters she faced and had too many three-ball counts for a pitcher with the second lowest ERA in college softball. Paige Lowary relieved Parker in the fifth inning, but didn’t fare much better. She faced nine batters, allowing a run and five hits.

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Only twice in the game did an Oklahoma base runner get to second base, and that didn’t happen until the final two innings.

Oklahoma never really threatened in the game, but a controversial call in the OU half of the sixth inning could have turned the outcome of the game.

With two on and two out, the Sooners’ Shay Knighton, the Most Outstanding Player in last Year’s WCWS, lifted a fly ball down the right field line that Washington outfielder Trysten Melhart made a diving catch on. She actually bobbled the ball in making the catch and, as she attempted to get up off the ground. the ball fell to the ground.

The first-base umpire ruled it a catch and the three umpires on the field conferred and agreed that it was the right call. Because there were two outs, both OU base runners were on the move the minute Knighton made contact. By the time the Washington right fielder came up with the ball after it popped out of her glove, both Sydney Romero and Jocelyn Alo would have scored. That would have tied the game, and there was a good chance that Knighton might have been able to round the bases for an inside-the-park home run, which would have given the Sooners a 3-2 lead.

Six different Oklahoma batters recorded hits in the game, all singles.

All three of the Sooners’ season-long strengths — hitting, pitching and defense — were taken away by a Washington team that appeared to be a lot more energized on this day and, in many respects, mirrors the Sooners in all three areas.

Oklahoma will play next on Saturday, when they will square off against No. 8 seed Arizona State in an elimination game. Washington advances to the winners’ bracket and a game Friday night against fellow Pac-12 foe and No. 1 seed Oregon.

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