OKLAHOMA CITY – Hope Trautwein had her finest pitching outing since late March and Lynnsie Elam provided the needed fireworks at the plate, as No. 1 seed Oklahoma defeated No. 4 seed Iowa State, 5-0, to advance to Saturday’s final of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship.
 
A senior transfer from North Texas, most noted for her 21-strikeout perfect game a year ago, fanned a season-high 14 Cyclones on a warm day at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City. Trautwein went a full seven innings for just the third time this year and first since April 2. She improved to 16-0 with her seventh shutout.
 
“I think (seven innings) is something we need as a pitching staff, to feel the heat. I know for me I have a harder time throwing in the heat just because, um, I’m really sweaty,” Trautwein said after the game to press room chuckles. “So that’s something I need to experience and work through, so that was good for me.”
 
Of course, 36 of OU’s 50 games have been decided in five or six innings by run rule, so it makes seven innings a little more out of the norm.
 
“For Hope … to see her kind of graduate today, and say, ‘Hey, I faced a really good offense.’ Iowa State’s very aggressive,” said OU head coach Patty Gasso, in search of her seventh Big 12 postseason title tomorrow. “(Trautwein) is like, ‘Okay, I’ve been in front of the home crowd, I’ve been in front of Hall of Fame Stadium.’ I think this was really important for her going forward.”
 
Elam provided the needed offense in the first inning against ISU starter Ellie Spelhaug. With the bases loaded, the fourth-year senior from Chickasha, Oklahoma launched her second career grand slam, her 14^th homer of the season and 40^th of her career. The Sooners have now hit a home run in 44 of 50 games this year, leading the NCAA with 124 this season.
 
Iowa State was led at the plate by Alesia Ranches who was 2-for-3, while the rest of the Cyclones were a combined 0-for-21. Saya Swain threw the final three innings by doing something few can lay claim to, retiring nine straight batters of the potent OU lineup.
 
The Sooners will play in the championship game for the 12^th time and are seeking their seventh title Saturday at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
 
“What I didn’t like, and our team would admit, is that we just gave away at-bats late in the game,” Gasso said. “We wanted to back (Trautwein) up with run support throughout the entire game, and that’s not discrediting Iowa State’s pitchers. But we needed to make better adjustments. Our body language looked like we were melting in the sun a little bit. And those are the things you look at as a coach and go, ‘Unacceptable.’ So it’s a good learning lesson.”
 

2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 12
12 p.m.	Game 1: No. 4 Iowa State 2, No. 5 Baylor 1 (8 inn.)	ESPNU	Box Score Recap
3 p.m.	Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma State 2, No. 7 Kansas 0	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Box Score Recap
6 p.m.	Game 3: No. 3 Texas 9, No. 6 Texas Tech 1 (5 inn.)	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Box Score
Semifinals - Friday, May 13
1 p.m.	Game 4: No. 1 Oklahoma 5, No. 4 Iowa State 0	ESPNU	Box Score
4 p.m.	Game 5: No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Texas	Big 12 Now on ESPN+	Live Stats
Championship - Saturday, May 14
2 p.m.	Game 6: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Game 5 Winner	ESPN2

 
Game times and television networks are subject to change