{"id":55029,"date":"2024-06-07T13:36:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T18:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/?p=55029"},"modified":"2024-06-07T13:36:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T18:36:54","slug":"how-kelly-maxwell-learned-to-let-go-be-free-and-dominate-for-ou-softball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/how-kelly-maxwell-learned-to-let-go-be-free-and-dominate-for-ou-softball\/","title":{"rendered":"How Kelly Maxwell learned to let go, be free and dominate for OU softball"},"content":{"rendered":"

OKLAHOMA CITY<\/strong> \u2013 There\u2019s just a different look in OU softball head coach Patty Gasso<\/a>\u2019s eye when talking about Kelly Maxwell<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It might have something to do with Maxwell\u2019s on-field development. But digging deeper, it\u2019s more about the transformation off the field.<\/p>\n

A transformation that certainly wasn\u2019t easy but reached its conclusion Thursday night.<\/p>\n

On the biggest stage, in what should have been the most stressful moment, Maxwell was as calm as could. Gasso was as stress-free as it gets.<\/p>\n

Go finish the job. Maxwell did that, recording the final four outs to give OU its fourth straight national championship with an 8-4 victory over No. 1-ranked Texas in the Women\u2019s College World Series championship series Tuesday at OGE Field at Devon Park.<\/p>\n

Maxwell is allowed to breathe and has even begun to smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you that Kelly, this season, but this post-season, especially the World Series, Kelly will be changed forever,\u201d Gasso said. \u201cThat is the greatest gift she could give us. Not the championship, but watching this young lady break out of her shell and smile and laugh and just enjoy being a good pitcher with good players who really appreciate and respect her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, Maxwell just had to learn to let go. A whole lot easier said than done. Maxwell\u2019s transfer from Oklahoma State to OU sent shockwaves through the softball world.<\/p>\n

But in this state? Yea, it resonated just a little bit differently. An OSU legend for years and years \u2013 was that all just wiped away?<\/p>\n

Coming to OU as the Sooners were aiming for history and the four-peat, would she ever truly be accepted as a Sooner?<\/p>\n

The answer to the former will be decided with time. But the answer to the latter? An emphatic yes. One season is enough to be a Sooner for life. And the way the team embraced Maxwell is the only way that could have been possible.<\/p>\n

The last image of an outstanding career the dogpile moment everybody dreams of, and Maxwell got to do it with co-captain Kinzie Hansen<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer decision to come here was not easy,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cKelly and I, I caught her in Japan a couple years ago. Our relationship was already built beforehand. Just being able to be there with her through every step of the way, see her grow through it, it was just a special experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, her confidence has gone through the roof. Just being able to kind of establish that. I never got my chest bump, but I got the dogpile. I\u2019ll take it (smiling).\u201d<\/p>\n

When it came time to announce the WCWS Most Outstanding Player, there was no doubt. It was going to be Maxwell.<\/p>\n

For someone who wanted this chance on this stage so badly, Maxwell didn\u2019t let it go to waste. Pushing herself beyond any limits she\u2019s ever had before, simply sensational.<\/p>\n

With OU up 5-3 with two outs in the top of the sixth, it was time. One final time to call Maxwell\u2019s number and do what she did all week in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

Five appearances, 27 innings, 12 hits, seven earned runs, 16 walks and 32 strikeouts. Maxwell went 3-0 in the WCWS and earned the championship-clinching save.<\/p>\n

Thursday night couldn\u2019t be about her because all Maxwell did was everything humanly possible to make sure Thursday could happen.<\/p>\n

Last Saturday against UCLA was the dominant performance from Maxwell. OU needed every bit of it in the 1-0 victory.<\/p>\n

But backs against the wall against Florida and Game 1 vs. Texas? That\u2019s guts, heart. A warrior\u2019s mentality of not being denied.<\/p>\n

Fifteen innings, 267 pitches, two remarkable performances for different reasons.<\/p>\n

So stepping back into the circle one final time, she was ready. A 5-3 lead turned into an 8-4 margin going into the top of the seventh.<\/p>\n

Maxwell went to work. And as it came time for the final out, all eyes upon her. Simply locked into the moment like never before.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t have anything on her face,\u201d said Cydney Sanders<\/a><\/strong>, who had the game\u2019s biggest hit with a three-run double in the fourth. \u201cI was getting hype and she was just like, \u2018Let\u2019s go.\u2019 It was amazing to see because it was just so much composure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

The dogpile, the confetti, this was the dream when transferring to OU. Maxwell made it her reality Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Maxwell has been one of the best pitchers in softball the last five seasons. But to do what she had never done, it had to be internally.<\/p>\n

No matter what was being said, written \u2013 just be you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just through hard work, staying true to myself. Just kind of keeping my head down. Even though, like, you don\u2019t want to see it, you still see it, it still kind of gets to you. Not being able to, you know, say something back, just being able to go to work every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, just have fun, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

At long last, Maxwell has found her freedom. And as it turns out, her championship, too.<\/p>\n

The post How Kelly Maxwell learned to let go, be free and dominate for OU softball<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OKLAHOMA CITY \u2013 There\u2019s just a different look in OU softball head coach Patty Gasso\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55062,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55029\/revisions\/55062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}