OU Softball: Looking Back on Oklahoma's Series Defeat to Alabama

Oklahoma’s path back to the Women’s College World Series will give the Sooners a chance to exact some revenge. 

The 15-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide head to Norman this weekend to take on No. 2 OU in a juicy Super Regional between two of the sport’s powers. 

Patty Gasso’s team dropped the regular season series in Tuscaloosa last month, as the Crimson Tide walked the Sooners off in the eighth inning of Game 3.

OU is excited to get a second look at Alabama, and the Sooners will look to utilize their home field advantage just as the Crimson Tide did back in the regular season. 

Game 1: Oklahoma 5, Alabama 1

The Sooners took their time getting rolling in the series opener. 

Alabama scored on a sacrifice fly in the third inning to get in front 1-0 — a lead the Crimson Tide carried into the seventh inning. 

Gabbie Garcia singled to put the game-tying run on base, and pinch hitter Maya Bland played hero. She smashed a two-run shot to put OU on top, then an RBI-double by Ailana Agbayani and an RBI-single from Kasidi Pickering paired with smart movement on the bases ran the total up to five runs in the seventh. 

Overall, the offense still struggled though the bats rallied late. 

OU went 0-for-7 with two outs, and didn’t get its first runner safely aboard until the third inning. 

Sam Landry did have an excellent outing, however. 

She pitched all seven innings, allowing just three hits, one walk and one hit batter while striking out six Crimson Tide batters. 

Game 2: Alabama 6, Oklahoma 1

While Landry enjoyed an excellent start in the series opener, Kierston Deal was unable to get anything going in Game 2.

Deal was chased out of the game in the third inning after allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while only striking out one batter. 

Isabella Smith came on in relief and she got out oft the third inning, but the bases were quickly loaded in the fourth thanks to back-to-back bunt-singles, which ended her outing. 

The worst news for the Sooners was that while Audrey Vandagriff, Alabama’s star leadoff hitter, went 0-for-3 at the plate, the Crimson Tide were able to plate six. 

Abby Duchscherer’s two-run shot in the fifth was the exclamation point on the win, and if it weren’t for Sydney Barker’s solo shot in the seventh, Alabama would have shut out Oklahoma. 

Jocelyn Briski started the second game in the circle for Alabama and she frustrated OU, allowing just two hits across seven innings of work. She was the pitcher on the hook for the loss in Game 1, but the Sooners were unable to figure her out in Game 2.

Freshman left-hander Audrey Lowry was able to settle things down a bit for the Sooners in the later innings. 

She surrendered just one hit across three innings, though it was the two-run shot.

Lowry gave up no free passes in the 11 batters she faced. 

Game 3: Alabama 2, Oklahoma 1 (8 innings)

Just as she did in Game 1, Alabama pitcher Catelyn Riley got the ball for the series finale. 

Riley pitched all eight innings of the winner-take-all contest, and she allowed six hits and two walks while fanning five. 

The Sooners had golden opportunities in both the seventh and the eighth innings to take the lead. 

Singles by Ailana Agbayani and Isabela Emerling put a pair on with one out in the seventh, then Bland got plunked. 

Both Kasidi Pickering and Gabbie Garcia had chances to deliver a decisive blow, but neither were able to drive in runs in the seventh. 

Ella Parker and Agbayani both singled in the eighth inning to bring up Abby Dayton with two outs, but the OU outfielder was also unable to bring a teammate home. 

Vandagriff’s solo shot ended things in the eighth, but Landry was still able to battle despite Alabama’s offense seeing her for a second time in the series. 

She allowed seven hits, but she struck out five and surrendered no walks, though Landry did hit two batters. 

Landry held Alabama to 0-for-8 at the plate with runners in scoring position, as she was mostly able to deliver in the clutch moments.