OU Softball: Kelly Maxwell Blanks UCLA, Propels Oklahoma to WCWS Semifinals (2024)

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kelly Maxwell saved her best performance in an Oklahoma uniform for the biggest stage.

The veteran left hander frustrated and thwarted UCLA’s offense at the Women’s College World Series on Saturday, firing Patty Gasso’s Sooners within one game of a return to the Championship Series.

Maxwell fanned a season-high 11 Bruins, including three strikeouts of two-time Pac 12 Player of the Year Maya Brady, in a complete-game shutout.

Her dominance in the circle meant the Sooners only needed a solo shot from Tiare Jennings, which the senior delivered in the third inning, to roll past UCLA 1-0 at Devon Park, formerly USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

"Kelly decided to throw one of the best games of her life today," Gasso said after the win.

Before the game, Maxwell said she had a meaningful moment that sparked her outstanding performance.

"I had an eye-opening conversation with coach this morning and I just put it all out there today," Maxwell said.

"The conversation was really faith-based and just hand it over to the Lord," said an emotional Gasso. "Let him guide you to be free. She has not pitched free and that’s what’s been going on. So to see her do that today is something I’ll never forget."

Maxwell had a strong start against Duke on Thursday as well. Although the Sooners have leaned heavily on their entire pitching staff all year, Gasso said she wanted to see how Maxwell would respond after their heart-to-heart.

"What stood out is her response, without question," Gasso said. "She has been going through a lot. She’s been through a lot. This was a big game for her so it was really getting it off of her. This has been — it’s been hanging on her since she got here and it’s been hard to watch her not be able to break through.

"... I think it's very important after the conversation that I had with Kelly that we see how this plays out because we need her at another level with the rest of our pitchers. Maybe it was a little bit selfish, but I know now that she knows what she can do, and that will open up the door for everybody else here, as well."

Though Maxwell was in full control, the Bruins did threaten the lefty late.

UCLA put two aboard in the sixth inning with one out, but Maxwell got out of the inning with a popup and a strikeout.

She had to come back out up 1-0 in the seventh to close out the game.

The graduate transfer retired the Bruins in order to close out her two-hit performance.

"She was super calm," OU outfielder Rylie Boone said of Maxwell. "I think she knew who she was playing for. She looked like there was nothing that could happen to rattle her. I felt her confidence."

Maxwell wasted no time setting the tone for Oklahoma (56-6) on Saturday.

Twenty of her first 27 pitches were strikes, and she rung up four UCLA batters in the first two innings.

But the strong start nearly crumbled away as Oklahoma narrowly avoided disaster in the top of the third inning.

Maxwell hit Thessa Malau’ulu with the first pitch of the inning, and then Hansen had her thrown out at second on a steal, but the ball was dropped at second.

Janelle Meono drew a walk, and OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha strolled out to the circle to calm Maxwell down.

She responded with a strikeout and a popup, but Alynah Torres lost the ball in the sun and it careened into her forehead, breaking her sunglasses and forcing Gasso to substitute Avery Hodge at second base.

It was an infield fly, so OU still got the second out of the inning, but both runners moved up to put a pair in scoring position for the Bruins.

Maxwell was excellent again, however, and she rang up her sixth strikeout of the game to end the threat.

One pitch later, Jennings hit the ball inches farther than Meono’s outstretched glove at the outfield wall to flip momentum and put the Sooners up 1-0.

"When Alynah got hit in the eye and we knew she was going to be out, Tiare comes up right after that happened, hits the ball out," Gasso said. "Those are memories. ... When you gather up together in 10 years, you're going to talk about those things. That's what it's cool. It's more than just winning and losing."

It was Jennings’ 96th career home run, which pulled her in front of Lauren Chamberlain’s mark and into third all-time in NCAA history behind Miami (OH) third baseman Karli Spaid and Sooner slugger Jocelyn Alo.

Kasidi Pickering seemed destined to add to the lead, but Meono bounced back to reach over the fence and this time rob her of a potential home run to keep the deficit at the single run for the Bruins as the game moved into the fourth inning.

The Sooners stranded a runner in the fourth and a runner in the sixth, but Maxwell was able to protect the 1-0 lead the rest of the game.

"God is good," Maxwell said.

Oklahoma will now sit idle on Sunday while the rest of the bracket works itself out.

Gasso's team will take the field again at 11 a.m. Monday in the semifinals, where the Sooners will have to lose twice to get eliminated from the WCWS.