OU Softball: Florida Spoils Oklahoma's Championship Party, Forces Saturday Rubber Game

Florida put a damper on Oklahoma’s championship celebration on Friday night.

The No. 1-ranked Sooners clinched the SEC regular season crown thanks to Tennessee knocking off Texas A&M earlier in the day.

OU responded by taking the lead in the first inning, but a pair of walks hurt starting pitcher Kierston Deal in the second inning as Florida’s star freshman Taylor Shumaker hammered a grand slam to put the Gators in front.

The Sooners staged a rally in the fifth, but the Gators held on to close out a 9-4 win at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

Deal was unable to build on her outstanding start against Texas.

The left-hander got into trouble in the first inning after allowing a pair of walks. A pitch clock violation extended the bottom of the first, and Reagan Walsh canceled out Gabbie Garcia’s RBI-single in the top of the first with a base hit of her own to knot the game up at 1-1.

The wheels fell off for Deal in the second.

She issued a one-out walk on four pitches then a single. Both runners moved up 60 feet on a fielder’s choice, and with first base open, the Sooners (43-6, 17-6 SEC) opted to pitch around Jocelyn Erickson.

That decision proved to be a mistake.

Shumaker smacked the first pitch she saw, clearing the wall in the deepest part of the park in straightaway center, to give the Gators (42-13, 13-10) a 5-1 lead.

The grand slam prompted a pitching change from Patty Gasso, as she moved off Deal and to Isabella Smith.

Deal nearly shut out Texas’ explosive offense last Saturday, but she lasted just 1 2/3 innings on Friday, allowing three runs, four walks and five runs while striking out just one of the 12 batters she faced.

Smith got out of the second, and she steadied things until the offense could work its way back into the game.

Hannah Coor ignited the offense with a leadoff double in the fifth to bring the top of the order up.

Kasidi Pickering drew a walk, then Parker made it four straight games with a homer after obliterating Florida starter Kara Hammock’s delivery to the same spot Shumaker hit her grand slam.

Ella parks one in the seats 💣

HR No. 10 on the year 📈@ellaparkerrr_ | ℹ️https://t.co/Th2U6csrhI pic.twitter.com/gLnLGUlV5W
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 2, 2025

Clinging to a 5-4 lead, Tim Walton elected to bring freshman Katelynn Oxley into the game to face Nelly McEnroe-Marinas.

OU’s redshirt freshman captain almost continued the rally, but center fielder Kendra Falby made a fantastic leaping catch at the wall to help Oxley out.

A trio of home runs by the Gators put the game back out of reach in the bottom of the fifth.

Walsh led things off with a solo bomb, then Mia Williams pushed the advantage to 8-4 with a two-run blast.

Ava Brown followed Williams’ heroics up with a towering hit to the wall in left, and OU outfielder Abby Dayton was unable to rob the Florida designated player as the ball bounced off her glove and over the wall to put the Gators up 9-4.

Brown’s bomb ended the night for Smith, who allowed four runs on five hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings of action. Freshman left-hander Audrey Lowry took Smith’s place in the circle for OU.

Lowry allowed three hits, but surrendered no runs in 1 2/3 innings. She struck out one of the eight Gators she faced.

The series will conclude on Saturday at 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.