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OU Softball: Oklahoma Rallies Past Bowling Green in Extra Innings

The Sooners needed eight innings to take down the Falcons, but stayed undefeated as Kasidi Pickering blasted a three-run homer to win it.
John Hoover|
Oklahoma outfielder Ella Parker
Oklahoma outfielder Ella Parker | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Unexpectedly pushed to the limit, Oklahoma finally responded — and had to work overtime to do it.

Against the juggernaut Sooners, Bowling Green started fast and played fearless but was finally subdued when Kasidi Pickering hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Falcons 8-5 on Monday in the Norman Tournament. 

In OU’s third extra-inning game this season, the Sooners had to rally from a three-run deficit.

No. 2-ranked OU improved to 13-0, while Bowling Green fell to 2-7.

The Sooners trailed 3-0 after the top of the first — their largest deficit of the season — after left-hander Audrey Lowry allowed a leadoff walk to Katie Hutter, put Addie Martin on with a ball in the shoulder and gave up an RBI single to left from Hannah Hunt. That was followed by an RBI groundout by Cameron Kaufman that scored Martin and a two-out bloop single to left by Ashley Chevalier that brought home Hunt.

OU had trailed by two runs this season just twice: 5-3 against San Diego State and 2-0 against Hofstra.

Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first as Ailana Agbayani and Ella Parker walked and Kasidi Pickering was hit by pitch. Agbayani was thrown out trying to steal third, and Cydney Sanders walked to load the bases against Bowling Green starter Madi Young. 

But Tia Milloy struck out swinging and Hunt ended it with a running, diving, over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Sydney Barker, ranging from second base deep into the right field grass to end the threat and keep the Sooners off the scoreboard.

The OU bats finally got going in the second inning.

Abigale Dayton, from the 9-hole, hit a two-out double over the center fielder’s head, and after Agbayani walked, Dayton took off for third, forcing an errant throw into left field that allowed Agbayani to advance to second.

Following Parker’s walk to load the bases, Sanders hammered an 0-2 pitch into the greenery beyond the center field wall for a grand slam that put the Sooners in front 4-0.

OU loaded the bases after taking the lead with singles from Pickering and freshman Sydney Barker — her seventh hit of her career but her first single — and a walk by Milloy, but Nelly McEnroe-Marinas flied out to the warning track in right to kill the rally.

Lowry was touched up again in the fourth as Taylor Behrendt led off with a single and took second on Lowry’s throwing error. Hannah Massaro singled to third base to load the bases, and 9-hole hitter Kendall Mathews delivered an RBI single to left-center field to tie it up at 4-4. Lowry ended it by inducing Hunter into a 3-2-3 double play to Sanders, who threw home and then took a return throw from Isabella Emerling to end the rally. 

OU left hander Kierston Deal took the circle to start the fifth, then ran into trouble in the sixth.

Bowling Green re-took the lead off Deal when Chevalier hit a one-out double to the gap in right-center field and then pinch-runner Delaney Davis raced home on Steffes’ double to the wall to put the Falcons up 5-4.

Deal then loaded the bases with a single by Massaro and a walk to Hunter, but she struck out Martin to end the inning.

Dayton started the sixth by outracing the throw on a bunt single down the first base line, and she took third on Agbayani’s sharp single to right field. That chased reliever Scarlet Anderson, who threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings before giving up the tying run.

Agbayani stole second, and Dayton came home to tie it at 5-5 on Parker’s line drive sacrifice fly down the left field line. 

Sam Landry, who came in leading the Sooners in innings pitched (20 1/3) and appearances (five), entered in the seventh and struck out the side, then fanned two more to start the eighth.

OU hitters crushed two balls to start the eighth inning, but Mathews made a running catch up against the wall in center field, and Behrendt made a sprawling stop of a hot shot at first base before Parker’s bouncing single up the middle.

Parker stole second base, then took third on Sanders’ hard-hit ball that hopped late on Kaufman at shortstop. With Chaney Helton pinch-running, Pickering had runners on the corners and blasted a three-run home run over the wall in right-center field to secure the win.

OU concludes the Norman Tournament later Monday with a 2:30 p.m. game against Abilene Christian.

Published | Modified
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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