Playing Oklahoma can be extremely frustrating. Patty Gasso’s team is stacked with talent to the point where All-American caliber players are on the bench just waiting for an opportunity to pinch hit. They just keep coming at you relentlessly!
On Tuesday afternoon the top-ranked Sooners traveled to Baylor to make up two games from a series that had been postponed due to Covid concerns. The Bears led Oklahoma 1-0 through the first three innings and then in the fourth Nicole Mendes launched a grand slam paving the way for a 7-1 OU victory. In the second game Oklahoma completely dominated Baylor 11-0 in a game that only lasted six innings before the run-rule was invoked.
The Sooners seemed to do whatever they wanted in that second game, hitting the ball around the park, dominating from the circle and running the base paths to perfection. That last one was best exemplified in the top of the sixth when Riley Boone hit into a fielder’s choice to the pitcher. The Bears caught Grace Lyons in a run-down between third base and home plate and when Baylor pitcher Aliyah Binford reached out to tag her, Lyons juked around the tag and slid into home plate safely. At the same time Boone advanced safely to second and Lynnsie Elam took third base.
Here’s where the frustration comes to light. I’ve watched this play over and over and I can’t see how Binford isn’t throwing the ball directly at Lyons. It’s a total frustration move by the Baylor pitcher in a game that was completely getting out of hand but it’s certainly not excusable.
What are your thoughts? Is there another explanation?
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AGREE!. Binford should have been ejected and faced possible game suspension. There is no other explanation. Why was there no review of that play?
Of course, if Lyons was three or more feet from the baseline after she jumped to avoid the tag, she should have been called out automatically. And where did the ball end up? And why did not the next runner also score while the live ball was rolling around?