OU Softball: Oklahoma Levels Series With Tennessee

Deal’s showing was a welcome sign for the Sooners’ pitching staff, which struggled over the past week. 

Patty Gasso’s team improved to 31-2 overall and 10-2 in conference play while the Volunteers dropped to 29-6 on the year and 4-4 in SEC action. 

The Sooners can capture their fourth conference series victory on Sunday.

A two-out mishap in the bottom of the first gave the Sooners their first lead of the weekend. 

Garcia hit a looping fly ball to right field, which should have been caught a few feet short of the warning track, but Tennessee right fielder Gabby Leach lost the ball in the sun. 

The ball dropped into the grass, giving Kasidi Pickering plenty of time to hustle all the way home from first and Gasso gave Garcia the stop sign at third.

Ella Parker then drew a walk, Sanders bounced out to end the first. 

Both pitchers cruised in the second, then the heart of Oklahoma’s lineup took control in the third. 

A Pickering single and another Parker walk put the bat in the hands of Sanders. 

She crushed the 1-1 delivery from Tennessee starter Sage Mardjetko, blasting her seventh home run of the year to extend the Sooners’ advantage to 4-0.

Tennessee immediately responded with a solo shot by third baseman Taylor Pannell, which was the seventh long ball that Deal has allowed in 2025.

Two batters later, Sophia Nugent flew out to the wall in right, but Deal seized control back. 

She wouldn’t allow another hit until the sixth inning, a one-out single that amounted to nothing, and Gasso trusted her to protect the 4-1 lead in the seventh. 

Deal retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and a fantastic diving catch from second baseman Ailana Agbayani to put an exclamation point on the win.

The series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m., and the contest at Love’s Field will be broadcast on SEC Network+.