Weekend Wrap: Oklahoma Emerges From First SEC Series Battle Tested and Ready to Improve

NORMAN — Nothing came easy for Oklahoma in its first ever SEC series, but Patty Gasso didn’t expect the toughest conference in softball to roll out the red carpet for OU.

The No. 2-ranked Sooners hosted No. 11 South Carolina in a battle of unbeaten teams, and it was Gasso’s four-time defending champions who came up with the sweep.

In three close contests, the Sooners won by a combined scored of 22-19, notching three one-run victories.

“They're tough,” Gasso said after Sunday’s pair of games. “Our pitching staff was put to the fire, and I'd say they got scorched a few times, but they never surrendered, which was important. And I think we've learned a lot from this weekend.”

Battle Tested

Oklahoma freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia totaled five RBIs in her first SEC series. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Speaking ahead of the South Carolina series last Tuesday, Gasso acknowledged criticisms OU’s non-conference schedule to date.

The veteran head coach was unbothered by if anyone around the country thought it was difficult enough, as SEC play would provide plenty of tests for the Sooners.

Gasso was proven right immediately.

Oklahoma had to battle out of a 5-2 hole in the second inning on Friday, and then the Sooners trailed 8-6 in the fifth inning of Sunday’s first game.

Behind clutch hitting from Isabela Emerling, Gabbie Garcia and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, the Sooners were able to erase both deficits and stay perfect on the year.

“I think we've learned a lot from this weekend,” Gasso said on Sunday. “… We made a few mistakes here and there, and that's going to happen when you're really trying to make big plays. But really, really proud of this group, because we didn't know what it was going to feel like as a team, and it was pressed on us here at home, and we stepped up to the challenge.”

Garcia, a freshman, homered both on Friday and in Sunday’s first game, meaning she went deep in five straight games.

Though that run came to an end in the second of Sunday’s two battles, Gasso is pleased with where her shortstop is mentally.

“Ease. Confidence. Settled. Takes good pitches, like takes good balls. Patience,” Gasso said. “Every thing that she kind of wasn’t at the beginning because she was really trying to fight for a starting spot. But she’s really settled into this and sees it well. Her swing is really sweet too. It’s a good, good swing and solid.

“She can hit gaps, she can hit it over, she can lay down bunts. Create chaos, which she did. She’s really fun to watch. She’s really coming into her own.”

Garcia’s taking things one pitch at a time, which has helped her build on her performances as the season has pressed on.

"Right now I'm just trying to keep everything really, really simple hitting-wise,” Garcia said on Friday. “Passing the bat. Just going up and hitting a hard ball somewhere. That's pretty much it.”

Combine Garcia’s at-bats with the offense Ella Parker, Kasidi Pickering, Emerling and McEnroe-Marinas provide and the Sooners are going to continue to slug their way out of hard spots in league play.

Pitching Lapses

Oklahoma pitcher Kierston Deal was one of the Sooner pitchers that had an up-and-down weekend against South Carolina. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Freshman Audrey Lowry was phenomenal in the series finale, holding South Carolina to a lone solo home run, which was a welcome departure from the first two games.

The Gamecocks scored nine runs apiece in the first two games, as the visitors got to Kierston Deal, Isabella Smith and Paytn Monticelli in the circle.

“They are such good hitters,” Gasso said. “They’re really good and they’re very well coached and it was a big challenge for us.”

OU was without veteran Sam Landry, though Gasso said she’ll be immediately cleared and back to action.

“She is going to be released and going to throw a bullpen (Monday),” said Gasso, “going to throw to pitchers on Tuesday at practice and she is full go.”

Adding Landry into the mix will be huge for Oklahoma’s rotation, which also saw a pair of unearned runs cross on Sunday due to uncharacteristic miscues from the Sooners in the field.

The good news is Lowry was unfazed in Sunday’s final game, giving the staff a strong performance to build on as the group looks to improve next weekend against No. 10 Arkansas.

Veteran Jolt

Oklahoma redshirt junior Hannah Coor made a pair of impact plays in Friday's victory over South Carolina. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Hannah Coor’s numbers at the plate weren’t mind-blowing over the weekend as she works back into full form, but the redshirt junior still produced a pair of clutch moments.

Coor memory unlocked 🔓@coor_hannah | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/wWWdCN5XrB
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 8, 2025

Her diving catch in centerfield wiped away a double on Friday, then her two-RBI double in the sixth inning proved necessary as the Sooners would have fallen behind 9-8 in the top of the seventh without it.

Have. A. Night. Hannah 👏@coor_hannah | #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/Y6z5HuIJXn
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 8, 2025

She looked as if she was going to set up to rob Natalie Heath’s second homer in Sunday’s first contest as well, but the ball pushed too far beyond the wall for any outfielder to make a play.

“Hannah Coor man, I just … you all know her story, at least I think you do,” Gasso said on Friday. “She just has been injured her entire career, from her back and then the freak accident a month ago, so she's finally out she is she's our best outfielder right now. So it was like well, we want to… ‘I don't know what her offense is gonna look like, but we need defense out there.’ So that was kind of our mindset you saw Tia (Milloy) come in and swing for her, but Hannah Coor has been waiting her entire career for these moments and I could not be more happy for anyone than her.”

Coor finished the weekend 1-for-6 at the plate with the pair of RBIs, but Gasso backed her veteran to improve at the plate as she gets farther away from the ankle injury that cost her most of the non-conference slate.

And in the meantime, the Sooners will always be happy to lean on her defense.

“Hannah Coor’s going to get up there and rob something,” Gasso said. “She gets way up there so I was really happy with our outfield and their big-time plays.”