FSU softball: Offensive adjustments to make in game two against Oklahoma

FSU softball lost the first game of the WCWS against Oklahoma Wednesday night. The Noles’ offense failed to take advantage of some key situations in the first three innings, and it cost them.

The umpire was inconsistent all night, but FSU batters did themselves no favors by chasing balls well out of the strike zone early in counts.

The Oklahoma pitching staff is lights out when they get two strikes on batters, so it’s key to have success early in counts and not watching fastballs right down the middle of the plate.

Here are some offensive adjustments I’d suggest for game two:

• Put Katie Dack in the lineup and remove Bethaney Keen
• Crowd the plate some
• Look fastball away early in the count

That’s it. Keen had a big home run to help FSU make it to the national title game, but there’s a reason she has fewer than 100 at-bats this season. She looks overmatched against Oklahoma pitching, and it wasn’t only Wednesday night. Keen struck out in both at-bats Wednesday night but also struck out in both of her at-bats in the mid-March matchup against the Sooners. Katie Dack at least consistently has the ability to change the scoreboard with one swing, as she did in the mid-March game with a three-run home run against the Sooners.

Oklahoma has consistently worked FSU batters away(and the umpire had a wide strike zone Wednesday night). I’d suggest moving up on the plate a bit and looking for fastballs away early in the count.

Several times Wednesday night, FSU batters seemed to take this approach but couldn’t catch up to the fastball away and fouled it off to get behind in the count or watched the pitch right down the middle. Oklahoma pitchers can and will throw change ups early in the count. If they have success doing that, tip your cap and get ready for the next pitch. FSU batters hurt themselves by swinging at pitches out of the zone. However, I can’t stress the importance of getting the bat off their shoulders early in the count when fastballs are on the way. Go up to the plate with a plan. Look for hard stuff away early in the count swing at strikes and attack. If it’s a seven pitch inning for the Oklahoma pitcher, so be it, but they can’t afford to get behind in the count.