Rain hurts almost as much as lost chances
Published on The Norman Transcript Sports | shared via feedly
It was bad enough all other interests were placed in front of the interests of the best possible game on the most important night of the season.
It was a crime Ricketts was made to stand in the circle as though standing in the shower, long enough to uncork wild pitch after wild pitch after wild pitch, giving away all the momentum the Sooners had secured with a second-inning solo home run from, who else, Ricketts, and a two-run, third-inning blast from Chamberlain.
It was horribly unfortunate, for the second straight game, OU had to be a party to its own destruction, again failing to make the plays in the field any championship team should make.
If you've ever read a post-game analysis from Auburn Undercover's Phillip Marshall, you are told that Auburn never really loses a game. Even in a 36-0 blowout, they either run out of time or they're the victims of some official conspiracy to screw them out of a championship.The poor Tigers just never get a break, while everyone else gets all the breaks. Boo, hoo.
Reading the Transcript piece excerpted and linked above, you'd think Marshall and picked up stakes, moved to Norman and filed his story while crying into a beer at O'Connell's. Go read the whole thing, and tell me that the degree of butthurt isn't as strong as it is with Marshall's best.
For all intents and purposes, this was a home series for Oklahoma. They had the advantage of having students, friends and family just miles down the road. They played in a stadium most of them knew everything about. They knew how the infield played. They knew how the outfield turf affected fielding fly balls. They outplayed Bama in the first game and were simply outcoached and outplayed in the next two.
Alabama adjusted after game one. Oklahoma did not. Alabama overcame adversity in game three. Oklahoma did not.
Sooner fans should be proud of Leilani Ricketts and that softball team. Prior to game two in this series, they had been undefeated in the WCWS. Ricketts will be part of the US National Team for the second straight time. They played hard and took Bama Ace Jackie Traina to the absolute limits of her abilities. That kind of performance--even in an effort that comes up two runs short--should be applauded and congratulated.
It shouldn't be moaned about and painted as if the whole thing just wasn't fair.
Helmet tap to @HeatherDThomas1
1 comments :
What amazes me about that article (and the other "woe is me" article on that page) is that they leave out the fact that Jackie Traina also had to pitch in the rain at the top of the 4th and the top of the 5th. Keilani Ricketts only had to pitch the bottom of the 4th and it affected her more because she would not adjust her pitches accordingly. It was a great win for Alabama and I couldn't be prouder. ROLL TIDE!!
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