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OU Softball: Oklahoma Smashes Cal to Advance to Super Regionals

The 2-seeded Sooners buried the Golden Bears with an eight-run explosion in the fourth inning.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma Infielder Ailana Agbayani
Oklahoma Infielder Ailana Agbayani | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

NORMAN — The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Patty Gasso turned her roster over last offseason, but the 2-seeded Sooners breezed through NCAA Regional play like a group of seasoned veterans. 

OU tallied three-straight run rules, culminating in a dominating Sunday showing over Cal. 

The Sooners crushed four home runs, forcing the Golden Bears to roll through their entire pitching staff. 

In the end, Oklahoma won 12-1 in five innings at Love’s Field. 

The Sooners will host the winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional next weekend for a spot in the Women’s College World Series. 

"I'm really really pleased with this team and how they came out early and scored big in the fourth and then just kind of added along," Gasso said after the win. "Looking at the box right now and there were hits up and down the lineup which was wonderful to see. I think we talked yesterday, there was maybe four hitters who had the majority of hits but I'm looking at this now and going all the way down, it's really impressive."

Final Box Score
Final Box Score | OU Stats

Sam Landry started again for Gasso, and outside of scoring on a fielding error in the second inning, Cal generated virtually no offense to battle OU’s barrage. 

She pitched three innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out three.

"I'm really pleased with the pitching staff," Gasso said. "They gave up two runs over the course of three games. We run ruled all three."

The Sooners improved to 48-7 on the year, and Cal finished the season 37-21.

Oklahoma was unable to turn Kasidi Pickering’s leadoff double into a run in the first inning, but the offense started humming in the second. 

Freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia led the frame off with a home run to open the scoring. 

It was Garcia’s team-leading 18th of the year, and it was her second-straight at-bat with a bomb after she went yard in the fourth inning of Saturday’s victory over the Golden Bears. 

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas then singled through the left side and Cydney Sanders drew a walk to put a pair on for Ailana Agbayani with no outs. 

She battled Cal starter Miranda De Nava to a full-count, fouling off a pair of pitches, but Agbayani caught all of De Nava’s seventh offering. 

The OU second baseman swatted a no-doubter to right field, her fourth long ball of the year, to put the Sooners up 4-0.

In the bottom of the second, Oklahoma gifted Cal a run. 

Landry was unable to successfully field Mia Phillips’ slow-roller and fire over to first. The OU ace missed Sanders and the ball rolled up the right field line. 

Sydney Barker’s throw home was a step slow, and Lagi Quiroga scored. 

Landry quickly recovered and induced a ground ball to get out of the inning and the Sooners carried a 4-1 lead into the third.

Abby Dayton ripped a single up the middle to extend OU’s lead to 5-1 in the fourth, which brought Pickering up with two on and no outs. 

Pickering then hammered her third home runs in two games against Cal. The three-run shot put Oklahoma up 8-1, virtually ending the contest. 

Ella Parker put the cherry on top. 

She hit a solo shot that was tracked at 285 feet over the bleachers in right field. 

"Probably one of the longest bombs I've seen, here for sure," Gasso said.

Even Parker was in disbelief.

"It was definitely shock," she said. "I think the first words that came out of my mouth were, 'I don’t think I’ve ever hit a ball that far.' Just that genuine feeling of shock that I really did that was really funny."

The Sooners weren’t done. Barker singled, then pinch hitters Tia Milloy and Maya Bland both drew walks to load the bases for freshman Riley Zache with no outs. 

Zache singled, then two batters later freshman Corri Hicks singled to extend the lead to 11-1.

Hannah Coor’s sacrifice fly pushed the advantage to 12-1, which closed out the Sooners’ half of the fourth. 

Isabella Smith entered the game for Landry, and after allowing a leadoff single, she quickly retired Cal.

Paytn Monticelli got the ball for the fifth inning, and she closed out the win.

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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