OU Softball: Oklahoma Avoids Massive Collapse to Sweep Texas

Oklahoma improved to 42-5 overall with the win and 16-5 in SEC action, which tops the conference standings, while Texas fell to 42-9 on the year and 13-8 in league play.

Landry helped OU avoid a disastrous loss, and the Sooners maintained their lead atop the SEC after Texas A&M lost two of three to Arkansas this weekend. 

Oklahoma built its initial lead thanks to another fast start. 

Kasidi Pickering battled Longhorn ace Teagan Kavan for eight pitches before drawing a walk to start the bottom of the first. 

Two batters later, Ella Parker fouled off five pitches in a row before straightening the ball out. 

When she finally timed her swing up, she crushed her second home run of the weekend, this one a 251-foot bomb to right field.

It was Emerling’s turn to lead the frame off with a walk in the second, and Pickering reached base for a second time with a single. 

Freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia then fouled off six pitches before hitting her 14th home run of the season, a laser to center field to put the Sooners up 5-0.

Oklahoma stayed hot in the third.

Cydney Sanders reached base with the Sooners’ third leadoff walk of the day, then Ailana Agbayani moved her to third with a double. 

A passed ball allowed the senior first baseman to score while Agbayani took third, then Abby Dayton laid down a bunt and Texas was unable to make a play at the plate.

Garcia closed out the scoring with a bases-loaded single which brought one run home and extended OU’s lead to 8-0 after three. 

Kavan was withdrawn in favor of freshman right-hander Cambria Salmon in the midst of the onslaught. 

In two innings of work, Kavan allowed eight runs on five hits, she walked four batters and struck out two. She faced 16 OU batters and threw 96 pitches.

Ashton Maloney led the fourth off with a single, which prompted Gasso to put Lowry in the game so Smith could soak in a standing ovation for her efforts in the home regular season finale.

The move to Lowry allowed Texas back in the game. 

Reese Atwood drove in the Longhorns’ first run with a bases-loaded single, and Stewart followed suit with a single to cut the deficit to 8-2.

Hannah Coor nearly robbed Joley Mitchell of a home run, but the ball fell out of her glove and onto the warning track which allowed the visitors to score two more runs with no outs.

Having seen enough, Gasso swapped out Lowry for Monticelli.

Texas quickly hung two runs on Monticelli, and Landry was finally called upon up 8-6 with runners on first and second and one out. 

The OU ace quickly recorded two outs to end the six-run inning.

Landry wasn’t perfect, however, and the Longhorns tied the game in the fifth courtesy of a two-run shot to straightaway center by Stewart.

OU took advantage of its next at-bat, however, to take the lead for good.

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas walked to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanders reached on a push bunt that landed in no man’s land between Cambria and Mitchell at first to give OU a pair of runners with no outs. 

Texas coach Mike White then turned to Citlaly Gutierrez in the circle, but she loaded the bases by issuing a four-pitch walk to Agbayani. 

Emerling then put OU back in front with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field.

Landry had to face the heart of the Texas order in the seventh, starting with 3-hole hitter Mia Scott.

Scott grounded out, then Atwood drew a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate for the Longhorns.

Landry struck Stewart out, then Mitchell grounded out to Garcia to end the game. 

Oklahoma will close out the regular season on the road with a chance to capture the SEC regular season championship in its first year in the league. 

The series against No. 8 Florida begins Thursday at 5 p.m. CT in Gainesville.