OKLAHOMA CITY — Kelly Maxwell delivered the breakout performance Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso had been waiting for.
Maxwell pitched a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the second-seeded Sooners, the three-time reigning national champions, beat No. 6 UCLA 1-0 on Saturday to reach the finals of their double-elimination bracket at the Women’s College World Series.
Maxwell has been good all year, but not dominant like she was on Saturday. Gasso said the senior responded well to a conversation they had earlier in the day.
“She has not pitched free,” Gasso said. “That’s what’s been going on. So to see her do that today — something I’ll never forget.”
Maxwell threw 116 pitches but looked as strong at the end as she did at the beginning. She struck out UCLA star Maya Brady three times, and seven of her strikeouts were against the top four players in the batting order for the Bruins (43-11).