Why Alabama Softball Isn't Worried About Facing Elimination vs. Oklahoma

The Crimson Tide is one loss away from its season ending, but head coach Patrick Murphy and company are in a spot that "we're kind of used to."

Alabama Softball Player Alexis Pupillo (31) celebrates against Oklahoma in the NCAA Norman Super Regional at Love's Field in Norman, OK on Friday, May 23, 2025. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

No. 15 Alabama softball fell to No. 2 Oklahoma 3-0 in Game 1 of the Super Regional in Norman, Okla., on Friday evening.

If the Crimson Tide loses in Game 2 of this best-of-three series at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN, its season will be over. If Alabama comes out victorious, these SEC foes will go to a series-deciding Game 3 on Sunday.

Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy and company are currently in a win-or-go-home status have a lot of work to do to make sure that the Crimson Tide isn't on the wrong end. Nevertheless, this current spot is one that Alabama is all too familiar with and it could be used to Murphy's advantage.

"We've gone to the World Series the last two times and we've lost the first game [in both Super Regionals]," Murphy said during the postgame press conference. "It's not different. We're kind of used to it. When we played OU in Tuscaloosa, they won the first game as well.

"Playing in the SEC is like this every weekend. It's a three-game Super Regional––two out of three. That part of it they're used to. Great competition. The crowd was awesome, we loved it."

As Murphy explained, Alabama lost the series opener against Oklahoma 6-1 in the regular season. However, the Crimson Tide won the next two games by scores of 5-1 and 2-1 with the series-deciding finale ending in style with a walk-off home run by Audrey Vandagriff.

But on Friday, Oklahoma surpassed its run total from that mid-April evening in just the third inning thanks to a two-run home run by left fielder Kasidi Pickering. Jocelyn Briski got the start on the circle for Alabama and only gave up a single before Pickering's bomb to center field.

And it was around that time on Friday that Murphy noticed something lacking in his team that Alabama must fully embrace in Game 2.

"But about a third of the way through, I was like 'You have more in you to compete. You do. You don't know it, but you do,'" Murphy said. "And tomorrow is when we need it. Tomorrow and Sunday. It's gotta come out of you right now.

"It's a challenge, it's fun and I love to see people step up. That's what's so exciting about this in a great atmosphere against a good team––I'd love to see somebody step up and do something good."

Alabama needs someone to step up. Who is it going to be?