Oklahoma softball: Kierston Deal is Big 12 Pitcher of Week in consecutive weeks
By Chip Rouse
For the second straight week, Oklahoma softball freshman Kierston Deal has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.
The Sooner left-hander allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings over two appearances this past week as Big 12-leading Oklahoma swept a three-game series against UCF. She was in the circle for Game 2 of the weekend series, pitching a complete-game, two-hit, 2-1 victory over the Knights, and then closed out Oklahoma's 11-7 win on Sunday, recording the final two outs of the game.
Deal allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings in her two appearances last week. That works out to an earned run average of 0.71 for the week. She gave up just four hits, while striking out five and issuing just base on balls. The opponents' batting average with Deal in the circle in the two games was .138.
Deal, with an 11-1 season record, leads the Big 12 in earned run average (1.00), hits allowed (32), runs allowed (10) and opposing batting average (.145). She is one of three Sooner starting pitchers with double-digit wins this season.
The last time an Oklahoma pitcher earned back-to-back Pitcher of the Week honors in the Big 12 was Giselle Juarez in 2019.
The Sooners will need the best from Deal, as well as teammates Kelly Maxwell and Nicole May. If OU wins all three games in a Bedlam showdown against in-state rival and third-place Oklahoma State, the Sooners will capture their 12th consecutive Big 12 championship and 16th overall.
Sharing weekly honors this week with the Oklahoma sophomore are Player of the Week Katie Stewart of Texas.
Oklahoma players have won a total of eight Big 12 weekly awards this season (four Player of the Week awards and four Pitcher of the Week accolades (two by Maxwell and two by Deal). Between March 12 and April 2, a Sooner was named Player of the Week in four consecutive weeks (Cydney Sanders, Tiare Jennings, Alynah Torres and Jayda Coleman).