Pitching choices??

#1
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KB vol

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#1
OU pitches their ace, (2nd consecutive start). Don’t understand why you start 2 freshmen (the stage was obviously too big for them) and then a sophomore in the biggest game of the season with your top 2 veterans on the bench. It seemed like we conceded the loss before the game started. Any thoughts????
 
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#3
#3
I believe Coach Weakly was hoping to steal this one but ultimately knew it would be extremely difficult. By saving both good pitchers you set yourself up decently to make a run through the losers bracket. At this point, all teams are probably shooting for 2nd place. I do believe both UT starting pitchers can beat Oklahoma St and whoever may be waiting in the semi finals.
I'm NOT saying this was a great strategy. I'm just trying to rationalize what we saw today.
 
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#4
#4
LynchburgTNVol said:
I believe Coach Weakly was hoping to steal this one but ultimately knew it would be extremely difficult. By saving both good pitchers you set yourself up decently to make a run through the losers bracket. At this point, all teams are probably shooting for 2nd place. I do believe both UT starting pitchers can beat Oklahoma St and whoever may be waiting in the semi finals.
I'm NOT saying this was a great strategy. I'm just trying to rationalize what we saw today.
Click to expand...

I don’t understand why anyone would play for second as in the end there’s no real difference between 2nd and 8th, is there?
 
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#6
#6
KB vol said:
OU pitches their ace, (2nd consecutive start). Don’t understand why you start 2 freshmen (the stage was obviously too big for them) and then a sophomore in the biggest game of the season with your top 2 veterans on the bench. It seemed like we conceded the loss before the game started. Any thoughts????
Click to expand...

Oklahoma has difficulty hitting high-heat pitchers and had trouble at first hitting the starter...So starting a 76 MPH thrower was a good plan...If they make it through the losers bracket they have a good closer off the bench and kept their vets for the end-run

I don't watch much softball, but it didn't look like it was a "before the game" concede, but it definitely looked like a "if they score first" concede.
 
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#7
#7
Coach Jumper said:
Oklahoma has difficulty hitting high-heat pitchers and had trouble at first hitting the starter...So starting a 76 MPH thrower was a good plan...If they make it through the losers bracket they have a good closer off the bench and kept their vets for the end-run

She conceded before the game.
I don't watch much softball, but it didn't look like it was a "before the game" concede, but it definitely looked like a "if they score first" concede.
Click to expand...
 
#8
#8
KB vol said:
OU pitches their ace, (2nd consecutive start). Don’t understand why you start 2 freshmen (the stage was obviously too big for them) and then a sophomore in the biggest game of the season with your top 2 veterans on the bench. It seemed like we conceded the loss before the game started. Any thoughts????
Click to expand...
This trash decision has Ralph Weekley written all over it.
Tennessee gets to the WCWS about once every decade and they pull this?
Go to win. Instead they get embarrassed.
 
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#9
#9
KB vol said:
OU pitches their ace, (2nd consecutive start). Don’t understand why you start 2 freshmen (the stage was obviously too big for them) and then a sophomore in the biggest game of the season with your top 2 veterans on the bench. It seemed like we conceded the loss before the game started. Any thoughts????
Click to expand...

I think based on my somewhat limited observation - don't think if we started Nolan Ryan throwing overhand in his prime it would have made much difference. Huge, huge advantage to Oklahoma. Crowd was 95 percent Sooner - the PA system and the whole WCWS was like a home game for Oklahoma. Then you add the umpires and the ump behind the plate appearing strangely biased in favor of the Sooners. When you get 1 hit you are not going to win no matter who you pitch. I didn't hate the pitching decision - now let's battle back into a position to play them again.
 
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#12
#12
Let's be candid: It was an absolutely dumb, defeatist decision. You decrease Pickens's innings late in the season, you don't pitch her hardly at all in the regionals/super-regional (two innings total), her confidence is surely not high--and then you give her the ball against the best team in the country in the biggest game of the season? What? That game was lost before it began. Just a very strange, absurd move. THIS IS IT: It's the championship series. You throw your best pitchers; you lean on them hard, and you play to win....except we didn't. I thought the point of managing Rogers' work load all season was to make sure she was ready throw heavy innings now, if need be. Or her and Gottshall together? Oh, my....
 
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#13
#13
EconVol92 said:
I don’t understand why anyone would play for second as in the end there’s no real difference between 2nd and 8th, is there?
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What I'm saying is Oklahoma is leaps and bounds better than any other team in Oklahoma City. They are going to win it. Everyone else is competing for runner up. Now I agree with you that there is no difference between 2nd and 64th. Hope we win out but don't see it happening.
 
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#15
#15
glv98 said:
Said the whole world about South Carolina going into March Madness . . .

They sure looked beatable against Stanford.
Click to expand...
Oh don't get me wrong, a blind sow finds an acorn every once in awhile but the difference is Carolina only had to lose ONCE. I don't see Oklahoma losing TWICE. (Hope I'm wrong.)
 
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#16
#16
Karen doesn't know how to manage her pitching staff on the big stage. This is why we lost to Arizona. You have a Power Pitcher in Monica Abbot who was absolutely unhittable in the first game, yet everyone except the coaches know that a Power Pitcher will tire out. There was no reason to start Monica in the 2nd game. if we won, awesome, if we lost, she was rested and would be unhittable again. But, they started her and she tired out and Arizona pounced and then they had no choice but to pitch her in the 3rd game and we all knew the outcome. To this day I will never understand why they didn't rest her in the 2nd game and let her dominate the 3rd if it was needed.
 
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#17
#17
jaybird_1981 said:
Exactly as Herm Edwards would say you play to win the game.
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Yep! They played with the strategy of "Well,it's okay if we lose,we got a backup plan,but let's do our best". Playing not to lose doesn't work. You have to be out there to win or whats the point? You don't need to make it any harder.
 
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#18
#18
LynchburgTNVol said:
Oh don't get me wrong, a blind sow finds an acorn every once in awhile but the difference is Carolina only had to lose ONCE. I don't see Oklahoma losing TWICE. (Hope I'm wrong.)
Click to expand...
Excuse me, are you mixing metaphors there?..lol
 
#19
#19
glv98 said:
Said the whole world about South Carolina going into March Madness . . .

They sure looked beatable against Stanford.
Click to expand...

Stanford could have won that game with a timely hit.....

And Clemson lost by 1 run to OU in what I recall was a high-scoring game.

We just played the biggest game of the year and threw a pitcher who's barely pitched at all in the post-season--followed by two pitchers who barely
pitched all year! Inexplicable.
 
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#20
#20
Although I don't agree with the strategy, it is not a complete failure at this point.

Even if Ashley or Gotschall had pitched well, we most likely lose since we only had one or two hits. Does it really matter if we lose 9-0 or 1-0?

Fact is, on Saturday our offense could not score no matter who pitched for us.
 
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#21
#21
orangemadam said:
Although I don't agree with the strategy, it is not a complete failure at this point.

Even if Ashley or Gotschall had pitched well, we most likely lose since we only had one or two hits. Does it really matter if we lose 9-0 or 1-0?

Fact is, on Saturday our offense could not score no matter who pitched for us.
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The lack of offense may have had to do with giving OU such huge momentum so early. Our players looked shell shocked. Also with the pitching we presented, if we had scored 20 OU would have scored 30.

KW clearly had zero confidence that either Rogers or Gotshall could beat OU, and as she stated, thought Pickens was a long shot at best. So what will be different if we play them again? That's where it will make a huge difference that we lost 9-0 and not 1-0. Same pitchers, even less confidence.

Bottom line, even if strategic, clearly not playing to win is a very bad look.
 
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#22
#22
Just like in any sport you play the best players and you give 110% till the end. Anybody can be beat got to play. I think coach and players were scared
 
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#23
#23
KB vol said:
OU pitches their ace, (2nd consecutive start). Don’t understand why you start 2 freshmen (the stage was obviously too big for them) and then a sophomore in the biggest game of the season with your top 2 veterans on the bench. It seemed like we conceded the loss before the game started. Any thoughts????
Click to expand...
What does our pitching have to do with us not hitting the ball. Their pitcher threw a gem! We didn’t score!
 
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#24
#24
Coach Jumper said:
Oklahoma has difficulty hitting high-heat pitchers and had trouble at first hitting the starter...So starting a 76 MPH thrower was a good plan...If they make it through the losers bracket they have a good closer off the bench and kept their vets for the end-run

I don't watch much softball, but it didn't look like it was a "before the game" concede, but it definitely looked like a "if they score first" concede.
Click to expand...
It was a gamble, but I believe it was a good one. I like their chances of making it back to the final. Only thing that concerns me is that neither Ashley nor Payton looked sharp against Alabama. They'll need to be today.
 
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