Oklahoma Bounces Back to Beat Cal Behind Big Sixth Inning

The Sooners plated five runs in the top of the sixth to rebound with a victory over the Golden Bears at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

Oklahoma pitcher Sydney Berzon | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma shook off its loss to Long Beach State, but the Sooners needed a late rally to dispatch of the Cal Golden Bears.

OU fell behind after another poor start from Kierston Deal in the circle, but Sydney Berzon settled the game down long enough for Patty Gasso’s offense to get going at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 

The Sooners strung together hits and walks to plate five runs in the top of the sixth, and Berzon closed the door in a 7-5 victory. 

No. 5 Oklahoma improved to 12-2 with the win, and the Golden Bears fell to 5-9. 

Final Box Score | OU Stat

Berzon pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief, which marks her longest outing of the season for the crimson and cream. 

The LSU transfer had yet to find her stride for the Sooners. 

She faced just 10 batters in OU’s opening weekend, and she struggled last weekend in the Sooners’ win over Minnesota before making a brief appearance against UTEP. 

Berzon even allowed two runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings in the loss to Long Beach State earlier in the day, but she flipped the switch agianst the Golden Bears. 

The veteran pitcher did allow a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, but that was one of the only two hits Cal had against Berzon. She struck out four of the 17 batters she faced, and 38 of Berzon’s 50 total pitches against the Golden Bears were strikes.

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas put the Sooners on top with an RBI-single in the top of the first, but Cal quickly stole all the momentum. 

Deal immediately loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with one out, but she was able to escape the jam. 

Deal was not so lucky in the second. 

Cal tied the game with an RBI-single from Kayli Counts, then the Golden Bears took the lead when Carly Raven drove another run home with a single through the right side. 

Deal was pulled after 1 1/3 innings in favor of Miali Guachino, and the sophomore reliever quickly rolled Cal into a double play to end the inning. Deal allowed six hits and hit one batter while facing 11. 

timely 5-4-3 DP ❌ pic.twitter.com/NJ3x1ntVS0

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 21, 2026

OU was unable to do anything with Ella Parker’s leadoff walk in the third, and then Guachino ran into trouble. 

She allowed solo shots to Kyndal Todd and Gator Robinson in the bottom of the third, which put Cal up 4-2.

Guachino was replaced by Berzon in the circle, and she got the Sooners out of the inning. 

Oklahoma’s offense tried to start a rally in the fourth. Ailana Agbayani’s walk and an Abby Dayton single gave the Sooners a pair of two-out baserunners. 

Kasidi Pickering then reached on an error, which allowed Agbayni to score, but Parker was unable to cut into the deficit further. 

Berzon kept the game at 4-2 with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth, which was the first time all game that the Golden Bears had been retired in order. 

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OU’s offense finally turned the tide in the sixth. 

Dayton’s single loaded the bases with no outs, and the veteran, Pickering, put together a patient at-bat to draw a walk and cut Cal’s lead down to 4-3.

The Golden Bears opted for a pitching change, replacing Tamya Waiters with Taylor Peacock, before Ella Parker stepped up to the plate. 

Parker bounced a hard-hit grounder back up the middle, but Cal second baseman Anaya Togia failed to cleanly field it, allowing another run to score and everyone to reach safely. 

Kendall Wells put the Sooners in front 5-4 with a walk, and the Golden Bears finally got the first out of the inning by throwing to the plate to get the lead runner when Sydney Barker put the ball in play to third. 

McEnroe-Marinas added another RBI with a sacrifice fly, and Kai Minor extended OU’s lead to 7-4 by bouncing an infield single high enough that Robinson had no play to make at shortstop.

by any means necessary!@ellaparkerrr_ pic.twitter.com/zJDQaDqidD

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 21, 2026

Lexi McDaniel finally grounded out to end the sixth, but the five-run outburst completely flipped the contest. 

Carly Raven tattooed Berzon’s first pitch of the seventh, but she rebounded to close out the win.

The Sooners will close out their weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday against Washington at 11 a.m.