Each time Oklahoma has had its back against the wall this season, they have responded.

No. 15 Baylor came into Norman this weekend looking to deal the No. 8 Sooners a devastating blow. If the Bears swept the series, or even just won two of three, OU's five-year streak of winning the Big 12 would be in serious jeopardy. Perhaps even more important, there would be no way the Sooners could earn a top-8 seed in the minds of the NCAA selection committee, guaranteeing they would be on the road for super regionals. The uncomfortable feeling of watching the Women's College World Series being played in Oklahoma City, without her Sooners in the field, is not something Patty Gasso wants to relive.

That's why, of all the things that go on off the field, the only one she really seems to pay attention to is the RPI rankings. The Sooners are at No. 13, and Baylor was at No. 10. That will change with OU winning two of three against the Bears at Marita Hynes Field.

But did OU do enough?

"It's so out of our hands, but I think a sweep would have done it," Gasso said. "I don't know."

The defending national champion Sooners had hoped for more this season. It started out rocky with back-to-back losses, but didn't get much better throughout non-conference play. OU was losing close games to good teams, and the back-to-back losses to Cal Poly really stung. The Sooners knew a near-perfect mark would be needed from Big 12 play, and they almost pulled it off, barring the next two series against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

After winning 3-2 in 10 innings Saturday with a two-out two-run walk-off double by Fale Aviu, the Sooners dropped the first game of Sunday's doubleheader 4-3. The winning run scored off a missed tag by Shay Knighten near home plate.

Already up 3-0 in the fourth inning, Baylor aimed to put even more pressure on the Sooners by attempting a double steal with runners on the corners and one out. Sooners catcher Lea Wodach fired to second to get Maddison Kettler, and Ari Hawkins at third hesitated. Hawkins waited just long enough to get herself caught in a pickle between third and home, but as she slid past Knighten to score, Knighten's swipe tag just missed her helmet.

OU rallied in the later innings with Caleigh Clifton hitting a two-run homer to centerfield, but down one run in the seventh, with speedy Kelsey Arnold on second, Clifton struck out to end the game.

"We didn't play our best, and we deserved to get beat," Gasso said. "Although, we put the winning run at home plate. You have to be encouraged by that. The first words that I said to them was, 'We needed that.' We needed that to happen to make us better. You can't play teams like that and play the way we did and expect to win."

Knowing another loss would seriously damage their playoff hopes, the Sooners blew past Baylor in the second game. Nicole Pendley hit a first-inning grand slam and Paige Parker threw a complete-game shutout to win 6-0.



It was the response the Sooners needed and signalled to the rest of the country that the defending national champions are still a team to be reckoned with.

By John McKelvey
Follow John on Twitter @John_McKelvey

Like What You See?

Sign up for the FloSoftball newsletter for instant access to: Breaking News, Live Streams, Rankings, Technique Videos and more!