Oklahoma's 1-2 Punch in the Circle Cemented Itself as One of the Nation's Best in Austin

Oklahoma got almost everything it wanted out of its trip to Austin.

Texas walked off the Sooners on Sunday, but it was the Longhorns’ lone consolation after OU took the series and flexed its muscles in the circle on Friday and Saturday.

For a pitching staff still on the rise, Audrey Lowry and Miali Guachino proved they could form a title-winning 1-2 punch for Patty Gasso and Jennifer Rocha.

Lowry opened the weekend with a complete-game shutout on Friday, aided by a handful of fantastic defensive plays, marking the first time Texas had been shut out since 2024.

Gasso loved what she saw from her sophomore, who has emerged as the pitching staff’s ace.

“Just her grit and yeah, she’s very unassuming,” Gasso said after the win. “She’s not real tall like most pitchers or long and lanky. She’s just really worked hard on her craft. She just was very ahead in counts a lot. Didn’t give up many walks. Gave us ground balls to work with. Our outfield made some great plays.”

Oklahoma Sooners, Audrey Lowr — Oklahoma pitcher Audrey Lowry throws in the Sooners' victory over Kentucky at Love's Field. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lowry held the Longhorns to 0-for-13 with runners on, and she was unbothered by both the atmosphere at McCombs Field and the opposing lineup all night.

“I know (my defense has) my back. I feed them ground balls or pop flies and I know they’ll get it done,” Lowry said.

Saturday, Gasso handed the ball to Guachino.

She allowed three runs on seven hits and dialed up six strikeouts, including fanning Katie Stewart and Reese Atwood in both the third and the fifth.

Lowry came into the game in the seventh to slam the door and win the series, but Gasso was excited by Guachino’s performance in her first taste of the Red River Rivalry.

“She just did a really good job of mixing speeds,” Gasso said. “… They could not really square her up the way they wanted to. Worked ahead in the count, limited walks.

“… I asked her after the game when she came into the dugout, ‘What did that feel like?’ She was like, ‘I had so much fun.’ And that is when you’ve got a good pitcher, when they know that they can truly go out and have fun. That’s when they’re gonna be at their best.”

Oklahoma Sooners, Miali Guachino — Oklahoma pitcher Miali Guachino delivers a pitch at Love's Field against Kentucky. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Guachino tried to keep things simple in Austin, which allowed her to thrive in the hostile environment.

“I think it was awesome just being here for the first time in this rivalry,” she said. “I know it’s really big for Oklahoma and Texas, so I was just trying to go out there and have fun and just do what I do.”

Guachino didn’t feature on Sunday, as Gasso started with Sydney Berzon and rolled through the rest of the pitching staff.

Kierston Deal and freshmen Berkley Zache and Allyssa Parker all got opportunities before Lowry was handed the ball back in the seventh.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

She got the game to extra innings, and though she did allow a pair of homers in the eighth, her weekend will be viewed as a success.

It was nearly the perfect start to the toughest stretch of Oklahoma’s schedule, which has conference series against No. 8 Arkansas, No. 16 Georgia and No. 14 Texas A&M still on the horizon, with a Bedlam midweek battle up next.

But the Sooners will return to Norman knowing that if Lowry and Guachino can go to Austin and win two close games, the duo can battle and find success against any lineup — including the ones they’ll face in Oklahoma City.