Oklahoma starting pitcher Sam Landry pitches against LSU at Jack Turner Stadium. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

OU Softball: Sam Landry Fires Oklahoma to First SEC Tournament Win

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By Ryan Chapman | Last updated May 8, 2025 1:06 PM ET

Oklahoma ace Sam Landry didn’t allow a hit for six innings, but her start against LSU almost came undone.

With the top-seeded Sooners leading 4-0 in the program’s SEC Tournament debut, Landry allowed a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases for Tiger slugger Torri Edwards.

Edwards’ 19th homer would have tied the game, but instead she flew out and plated one run on a sacrifice fly.

That was the only real threat the Tigers posed to OU, however, as the Sooners rolled to a 4-1 win at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, GA, on Thursday.

Landry struck out seven LSU batters in seven complete innings or work, and she allowed four walks and just one hit.

"I think just really trusting my team, going at these hitters, letting them put the ball in play," Landry told the SEC Network after the win. "... Just being able to keep them off-balance and let the defense work… Once the defense started rolling we were good."

Cydney Sanders’ homer in the fifth inning gave OU a four run lead, which is all the Sooners needed to win their first postseason game played outside of Oklahoma since 2017.

OU (44-7) now awaits the winner between 4-seeded Tennessee and 5-seeded Arkansas, who will battle in Athens on Thursday.

Oklahoma jumped on top of the Tigers (41-14) in the first inning.

The Sooners quickly loaded the bases after LSU starter Sydney Berzon issued a trio of walks, then Berzon plunked Sanders to put OU up 1-0.

Ailana Agbayani and Sydney Barker were unable to inflict any more damage, however, so Oklahoma settled for the lone run.

Berzon sat the Sooners down in order in the second and third innings, but OU got back to work in the fourth.

Sanders led the frame off with a walk, and after Chaney Helton was called upon to run for Sanders, a wild pitch put the runner in scoring position.

Agbayani’s ground out allowed Helton to advance to third, then Barker delivered the first hit of the day for either team, an RBI-single to double the lead.

Two batters later, Abby Dayton singled to put a pair of runners on with two outs for leadoff hitter Kasidi Pickering, but the sophomore outfielder bounced out to end the inning.

Ella Parker led the fifth off with a double to the wall, then Sanders continued her steady outing.

The OU first baseman hammered a two-run shot to give the Sooners full command of the contest and extend the lead to 4-0.

Edwards’ sacrifice fly marked the second out of the sixth inning, but the Tigers were unable to cut the deficit further.

The Sooners will meet either the Volunteers or the Razorbacks in the first semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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