Maxwell Throws No-No, Sooners Sweep Tarleton State

Tuesday, March 12

Norman

4:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

23-1

Tarleton State

12-14

Tarleton State

Oklahoma

Photo by: Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma

Maxwell Throws No-No, Sooners Sweep Tarleton State

March 12, 2024 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NORMAN – Graduate left-handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell threw her fifth collegiate no-hitter as the No. 1-ranked Oklahoma softball team swept Tarleton State in a midweek doubleheader at Love's Field on Tuesday evening.

The Sooners (24-1, 3-0 Big 12) downed Tarleton (12-15, 0-0 WAC) 8-0 and 12-1 to take both games of the set. OU closed its inaugural homestand at Love's Field with a 10-1 record.

Maxwell's brilliance set the tone in game one as OU's lineup backed the staff with four crooked numbers, plating three or more runs in an inning twice in each game.

Cydney Sanders continued her torrid stretch, homering twice and driving in seven runs between the two games. In the month of March, Sanders is slashing .579/.690/1.947 for a 2.637 OPS with eight home runs, two doubles and 22 RBIs.

No. 1/1 Oklahoma 8, Tarleton State 0 (5)

OU southpaw Kelly Maxwell no-hit Tarleton in a brilliant performance, recording her fifth collegiate no-no while improving to 7-0 on the year. A two-out fielding error in the first inning permitted the lone Texan batter to reach before Maxwell sat down the final 13 she faced. The left-hander struck out seven and walked none, throwing 45 of her 61 pitches for strikes (73.8%). She piled up 11 swinging strikes for a stellar 18.0% whiff rate, putting her plus stuff on full display.

Jayda Coleman (1-for-2, R, HR, RBI) opened the scoring with a solo shot on the first pitch she saw to lead off the bottom of the first. OU added two more on a throwing error and a Cydney Sanders (1-for-2, R, HR, 4 RBI) sacrifice fly to take a 3-0 lead into the second.

Maxwell shut down the Texans, trading zeroes with the Tarleton starter in the second, third and fourth. Following a scoreless fifth tossed by the Sooner starter, Oklahoma rallied for five runs in the home half to earn a "walk-off" run-rule win. Sanders blasted her ninth home run of the season in the frame, a towering three-run shot to right, Ella Parker (2-for-2, R, 2 2B, RBI) doubled home a run and Alynah Torres (2-for-3, RBI) plated the winning run with an RBI single.

Tiare Jennings went 1-for-2 with a double in the win, recording her 55th career two-bagger to move into a tie for second in program history with Lisa Carey. Jennings needs three doubles to pass Sydney Romero (56) for the OU record.

No. 1/1 Oklahoma 12, Tarleton State 1 (5)

The Oklahoma lineup provided another pair of crooked numbers in game two, supporting a strong start from right-hander Nicole May. OU's senior struck out four and walked none across 3.0 shutout frames, scattering three hits to improve to 8-0 on the season and enter the program's top-10 in career wins with No. 55.

Eight straight Sooners reached with two outs in the first as part of a seven-run frame, blowing the game open early. Cydney Sanders (1-for-2, R, HR, 3 RBI) blasted a monster three-run blast to begin the scoring, Riley Ludlam (3-for-3, R, 3 RBI) added a two-run single and Hannah Coor (1-for-2, R, HR, 3 RBI) launched a two-run shot for her first collegiate home run to cap off the scoring.

A sacrifice fly off the bat of Coor pushed OU's lead to 8-0 in the third. Tarleton State responded with a run of its own in the fourth, with Oklahoma promptly responding with four in its home half.

Karlie Keeney closed things out, allowing a run on two hits while fanning three over 2.0 innings of work.

Alynah Torres reached three times in the win with a single and a pair of walks, scoring a trio of runs.

Up Next

OU returns to conference play with a three-game series in Lubbock at RV/NR Texas Tech beginning Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday with a noon Sunday finale.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma Softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter/X and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.