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OU Softball: Oklahoma Levels Series With Tennessee

Left-hander Kierston Deal starred in the circle for the Sooners, containing the Volunteer offense to bounce-back from Friday's defeat in extra innings.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma pitcher Kierston Deal
Oklahoma pitcher Kierston Deal | John Hoover / Sooners on SI

NORMAN — Oklahoma bounced back on Saturday behind a strong performance in the circle. 

Left-hander Kierston Deal pitched a complete game at Love’s Field, allowing just one Tennessee run off a solo homer. 

The Volunteers mustered just four hits and drew a walk while Deal fired five strikeouts to help the Sooners level the series. 

Gabbie Garcia’s first inning triple and Cydney Sanders’ third inning laser proved to be enough for OU’s offense as Oklahoma won 4-1 after Friday's extra inning heartbreak. 

"I think the highlight of our day was KD and I think after her situation out in Wichita," OU coach Patty Gasso said of Deal's performance after the win. "To come here and look completely different… Coach (Jennifer) Rocha said it, we all felt like we had the boss on the mound. And she controlled everything."

Final Box Score
Final Box Score | OU Stats

Deal’s showing was a welcome sign for the Sooners’ pitching staff, which struggled over the past week. 

"I think my mentality has been there but it’s just the full trust in throwing pitches and throwing my game and trusting my defense," Deal said of her ability to rebound on Saturday.

Gasso’s team improved to 31-2 overall and 10-2 in conference play while the Volunteers dropped to 29-6 on the year and 4-4 in SEC action. 

The Sooners can capture their fourth conference series victory on Sunday.

A two-out mishap in the bottom of the first gave the Sooners their first lead of the weekend. 

Garcia hit a looping fly ball to right field, which should have been caught a few feet short of the warning track, but Tennessee right fielder Gabby Leach lost the ball in the sun. 

The ball dropped into the grass, giving Kasidi Pickering plenty of time to hustle all the way home from first and Gasso gave Garcia the stop sign at third.

Ella Parker then drew a walk, Sanders bounced out to end the first. 

Both pitchers cruised in the second, then the heart of Oklahoma’s lineup took control in the third. 

A Pickering single and another Parker walk put the bat in the hands of Sanders. 

She crushed the 1-1 delivery from Tennessee starter Sage Mardjetko, blasting her seventh home run of the year to extend the Sooners’ advantage to 4-0.

"Honestly I was just not really worried about my last at-bats or anything," Sanders said of her approach before the home run. "I was like this is a whole new setting, this is a brand new ballgame. Every single time you go to the plate it’s a brand new ballgame. So I just kind of treated it like that, like we were both 0-0. So I didn’t really stress too much."

Tennessee immediately responded with a solo shot by third baseman Taylor Pannell, which was the seventh long ball that Deal has allowed in 2025.

Two batters later, Sophia Nugent flew out to the wall in right, but Deal seized control back. 

She wouldn’t allow another hit until the sixth inning, a one-out single that amounted to nothing, and Gasso trusted her to protect the 4-1 lead in the seventh. 

"You have to just think you trusted your pitch and they just beat you on that pitch," Deal said about putting the fourth inning herbing her. "So you just kind of have to think about it like that, one pitch at a time. And just continuing to throw it and trust that specific pitch. Knowing that you can still get everyone out on that same pitch even though they beat you on that one."

Deal retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and a fantastic diving catch from second baseman Ailana Agbayani to put an exclamation point on the win.

The complete game from Deal meant Isabella Smith and Paytn Monticelli were never called upon from the bullpen, so they’ll be fresh for Sunday’s series finale. Sam Landry, who threw 141 pitches in eight innings on Friday, also got a crucial day of rest because of Deal’s excellent outing. 

“If I'm on our pitching staff, I'm looking at this and I'm getting very inspired by what I witnessed and thinking, okay, hand me the baton," Gasso said. "Give it to me. Give me the ball so I can show you I can do the same thing. I think this performance was very inspiring for our pitching staff.”

The series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m., and the contest at Love’s Field will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

Published | Modified
Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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