OU Softball: Oklahoma Falls to Tennessee, Drops First SEC Series

NORMAN — Tennessee didn’t threaten often, but the Volunteers’ biggest swings came in the crucial moments on Sunday.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, did not deliver enough clutch hits.

The end result was a 5-3 Vols win and a series victory for the visiting team at Love's Field.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the series decider courtesy of Kasidi Pickering’s bases-clearing double in the third inning, but that lead didn’t last.

Tennessee finally found success off OU starter Sam Landry in the fourth.

Landry retired 11 consecutive batters to start the contest, but that ended when she issued a two-out walk. That free pass made way for a single and another walk, then Laura Mealer’s double got a pair of runs back for the Volunteers.

Three pitches later, Ella Dodge crushed Landry’s pitch to right field, a three-run home run to take the 5-3 lead — an advantage the Volunteers refused to surrender.

Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens carried her team across the finish line, and the Volunteers handed Oklahoma its first series defeat of the season.

"Tough game on our side," OU coach Patty Gasso said after the defeat. "I like the way we started where we scored first and they answered very quickly. And you give that to a team that’s been around and they kind of know how to do that. I think this is a great learning opportunity for us. It’s humbling, but we know we’re not good enough. We’re winning, but we’re still not good enough."

The No. 2-ranked Sooners were unable to cash in on Abigale Dayton’s leadoff walk in the fifth or her two-out single in the seventh.

OU finished the afternoon 2-for-12 at the plate with runners on and 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

"That’s a World Series team we just played and they’ve got an elite, elite pitcher," Gasso said. "And I thought we — we’re making contact, it’s just not going anywhere."

No. 9 Tennessee, on the other hand, went 3-for-5 with runners on and 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position.

Oklahoma (31-3, 9-3 SEC) was unable to do anything with a single runner in both the first and the second inning, but the Sooners dialed in on Pickens in the third.

An infield single by Hannah Coor paired with a single by Dayton to put a pair on with no outs.

Third baseman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas battled Pickens for 10 pitches, fouling off five straight, before drawing a walk to load the bases.

And Pickering delivered.

She tattooed the first pitch toward the gap in left-center. Volunteer center fielder Kinsey Fiedler dove and nearly caught it, but Pickering powered it past the glove and cleared the bases to put OU on top 3-0 with a double.

Not only did it give the Sooners the lead, but it marked Pickering’s 15th straight plate appearance where the star outfielder reached base.

Landry’s perfect start to the game ended in the fourth, where Tennessee (29-7, 5-4) scored five runs on three hits and two walks — all with two outs.

"She didn't have a great Friday night. But she came back today and threw really well," Gasso said of Landry. "She threw one first pitch to a hitter, threw a change up, and she had a plan to say, ‘It's a change up, I'm sitting on it.’ And she hit it out."

Landry’s fourth strikeout of the afternoon mercifully ended the frame.

Pickens ended Pickering’s on-base streak in the fifth by fanning the OU outfielder after another 10-pitch battle, then Gabbie Garcia’s groundout stranded Dayton on second.

"One thing in the game I try to talk to everyone, is we just have to be better," Pickering said. "Everyone needs to be better. Nobody up there is hitting the home run... Everyone has an opportunity to be better. And just knowing that Karlyn is good. I'll give that to her. She's amazing. But we trained all week for this. We should've executed better. We just have to be better moving forward."

Landry retired nine of Tennessee’s final 10 batters in the final three innings, but Oklahoma’s offense was unable to inflict any more damage.

Dayton extended the contest with a two-out single in the seventh, but Pickens struck out McEnroe-Marinas to end the game.

McEnroe-Marinas, Garcia, Ella Parker and Cydney Sanders combined to go 0-for-10, and McEnroe-Marinas’ walk in the third inning was the lone time that group reached base.

"We understand this felt really uncomfortable," Gasso said. "It did not feel good watching this happen on our own field. But this is what this young team has to learn. As we go forward, it’s going to happen."

The Sooners will hit the road on Tuesday for a non-conference midweek matchup with UT Arlington. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.