'What else would she do?': Jocelyn Alo's grand slam rallies OU softball to Bedlam sweep
NORMAN — With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning and college softball’s home run queen at the plate on her Senior Day at OU’s Marita Hynes Field, the Bedlam script suddenly felt Hollywood-written.
OU’s Jocelyn Alo added the climactic moment, taking a belt-high pitch from Oklahoma State’s Kelly Maxwell over the right-center field fence for a game-deciding grand slam — her 24th home run of the season and the 112th of her career.“
The top-ranked Sooners survived some late-inning drama of their own making to finish off the sweep of their Bedlam rivals with a 5-3 win on Saturday to conclude the regular season with a 48-1 record.
“Fitting,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “Everything about this season has been so unbelievably storybook for her. Her last at-bat in the regular season at home, Senior Day, what else would she do?”
'Like a lion walking around the circle': How Jordy Bahl cultivated her intimidating presence for OU softball
Alo had struck out in her previous two at-bats and had fallen in an 0-2 hole against Maxwell in the third trip before hitting the grand slam on the third pitch.
“You can’t beat Jocelyn more than twice,” Gasso said. “It’s hard to even beat her once, but you beat her twice, you’re probably gonna pay on the third time, and that’s exactly what happened.”
The seventh-ranked Cowgirls took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and led 2-1 in the fifth when Alo hit the grand slam.
Until that point, OSU looked to have positioned itself for a rare Bedlam victory. But as was the theme of the series, the Cowgirls gave OU too many extra chances. The Sooners needed just two hits to produce five runs on Saturday.
An error by OSU second baseman Brianna Evans on a pop fly set up an RBI single by Grace Lyons in the fourth inning. And prior to Alo’s slam, Maxwell hit two batters and walked a third to load the bases.
“When you walk them or hit them, they make you pay,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Our pitching staff held this offense down. We gave them runs all weekend long, and that’s what great teams do, even when they’re not on point because of our arms, they still find a way, because of our miscues or walks or hit-by-pitches.
“Just don’t have ‘em coached up right, don’t have ‘em prepared to be in this moment yet, so we’ll get back to the drawing board this week.”
Carlson: Racing for foul balls? How Oklahoma State softball has upped its competitiveness
The Cowgirls threatened in the top of the sixth, drawing four consecutive walks to score a run off OU’s relief pitcher, Hope Trautwein, who had entered in the fifth in place of starter Nicole May and got the Sooners out of a jam.
But when Trautwein struggled in the sixth, May re-entered with one out and the bases loaded, getting a strikeout and soft groundout to end the OSU threat and keep OU on top 5-3.
“Coming back in, a switch was flipped,” May said. “I went out to warm up again, just approached it with a different mindset. I wanted to have Hope’s back. She had my back, now it’s the time for me to have hers.”
The Cowgirls had some success early in innings against May. OSU got the leadoff batter on in five of the seven innings, and made the Sooners pay in the second.
OSU senior Sydney Pennington, batting in the cleanup spot, walked to lead off the second inning and senior Hayley Busby fought through a 10-pitch at-bat, eventually sneaking a line drive over the left field wall for a 2-0 Cowgirl lead.
It was the fifth homer of the year and first since March 18 for Busby, who hit 19 home runs last season as a fixture in the heart of the lineup.
The Big 12 Tournament is up next for both teams, with OU going in as the regular season champion and No. 1 seed. OSU will be the second seed in the seven-team tournament, so a potential Bedlam rematch in the title game is possible next Saturday.
The Sooners are likely already locked in as the top seed in the NCAA Tournament field, which will be announced following conference tournaments next week. The Cowgirls are fighting for a top-eight seed, which would guarantee them a hosting role through the super-regional round.
Big 12 Tournament action begins on Thursday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Tramel: What will the future of Big 12 softball look like after OU & Texas flee to the SEC?
Big 12 Tournament
At USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC:
Thursday's games
Noon: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed (ESPN+)
3 p.m.: No. 2 OSU vs. No. 7 Kansas (ESPN+)
6 p.m.: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 6 seed (ESPN+)
Friday's semifinals
1 p.m.: No. 1 OU vs. Game 1 winner (ESPNU)
4 p.m.: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner (ESPN+)
Saturday's championship
2 p.m.: Semifinal winners (ESPN2)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball: Jocelyn Alo's grand slam sends Sooners to Bedlam sweep
