OU Softball: Oklahoma Looks to Continue SEC Tournament Run Against Arkansas

Oklahoma responded to a series defeat at the hands of Florida by dumping LSU out of the SEC Tournament to set a meeting with 5-seeded Arkansas. 

The top-seeded Sooners got an outstanding performance from Sam Landry in the circle and paired it with steady showings from veterans in the lineup to take down the 9-seeded Tigers 4-1.

“They were tough,” OU coach Patty Gasso told the SEC Network desk following Thursday’s win. “We go back actually to Alabama where we just didn’t leave it on the field the way we wanted to, but we came off of that, we won I think seven straight. Did the same thing out in Florida. Wish we would have had a few things back, but we had good practices knowing that we didn’t want to come here and just turn around and go back home. So the fight was real.”

Oklahoma will get plenty more fight from the Razorbacks on Friday. 

Relive Oklahoma's Sweep of Arkansas

• Game 1
• Game 2
• Game 3

Arkansas, the winners of six-straight conference series after getting swept by the Sooners at home in March, beat Georgia and the 4-seeded Tennessee Volunteers to set up Friday’s rematch. 

Superstar first baseman Bri Ellis walked the Bulldogs off with a grand slam on Wednesday, then she went 2-for-4 at the plate against Tennessee to help power into the semifinals. 

The Razorbacks’ lineup will stress Oklahoma’s pitching staff up and down the lineup — especially with Landry unlikely to start on back-to-back days. 

Kierston Deal pitched 6 2/3 innings across two appearances against Arkansas earlier this year, allowing eight combined runs on eight hits while striking out seven and walking six Arkansas batters. 

Isabella Smith pitched two innings in two games, allowing three runs, three hits, one walk and ringing up zero strikeouts. 

But as the Sooners begin their postseason journey, associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha keeps things positive with her hurlers. 

“I love Coach Rocha and I think she enhances everybody else’s game because it’s not just about mechanics with her,” Landry said on Thursday. “It’s so much more. There’s the mental side. There’s the little wins. I know she griped at me because I completely missed a spot but it was like a foul ball and she was like, ‘That’s a win. That’s what we wanted.’ So she talks with so much confidence. She’s such a positive person.”

Regardless of who gets the ball in the circle, Oklahoma’s offense is going to have to score to reach the program’s first SEC Tournament Championship. 

Landry blanked Arkansas in the first matchup between the two teams during the regular season, but the Razorbacks played 11 runs in the final two games despite losing both .

Thankfully for the Sooners, Cydney Sanders enjoyed an excellent start to tournament play against LSU.