Weekend Wrap: Oklahoma's Sweep Keeps it Squarely in SEC Fight

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s sweep of Mississippi State has the Sooners still right in the middle of the SEC fight.

The No. 2-ranked Sooners are tied with No. 3 Texas at 13-5 in league play, trailing only No. 1 Texas A&M (13-4).

No. 4 Tennessee looms just one game back of the Sooners and the Longhorns, and the Red River Rivals will be in Norman to meet for the first time at Love’s Field.

The weekend was far from perfect. OU had to battle out of a pair of 4-0 deficits after the top of the first inning in Sunday’s double header, but Patty Gasso’s team found the offense it needed to take all three wins against the No. 16-ranked Bulldogs.

Offense Still Coming Along

Oklahoma third baseman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Friday’s 4-0 victory over Mississippi State at Love’s Field was comfortable, but it left Gasso wanting more.

Her team put up two runs in each of the first two innings, but there was no further damage inflicted.

To hold pace with Texas and Florida in the coming weekends, the Sooners will have to keep scoring, but Gasso struck a balance between wanting more and continuing to build the confidence of her young lineup.

“This team is going to start clicking at a different cylinder and you’re going to know it. You won’t even have to ask me. You’re gonna see it,” Gasso said on Friday. “I know it’s coming, we’re just working through that right now. And it’s coming. I know it will happen before we finish the end of this season. So that’s where we’re at right now. Wins are great but if we can start clicking in that way, we’re going to be pretty unstoppable.”

Against Tennessee, Gasso said her team has to produce in more than just two spots in the lineup.

Sunday, the runs came from all over.

Kasidi Pickering hit a homer in the first game of the double header, then Ailana Agbayani and Cydney Sanders helped string together hits to get OU back in the game.

Sunday’s finale was all about the long ball.

Gabbie Garcia struck first, Hannah Coor went yard once, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas homered twice and catcher Isabela Emerling hammered a three-run shot to put the Sooners in front.

Gasso was proud of the team’s response. They didn’t panic, and they slowly chipped away to come from behind twice on Sunday.

“Not trying to over-swing because it was still early in the game,” Gasso said. “We don’t want to give up runs that way, but if we do it and do it early, we have that time. They started to pull rallies together.”

Isabella Smith Rebuilds Confidence

Oklahoma's Isabella Smith | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The second option out of the bullpen behind Sam Landry has been a rotating door this season.

Freshman Audrey Lowry excelled in the first SEC series against South Carolina. Kierston Deal won the only contest against Tennessee.

Sunday, it was Isabella Smith’s turn.

Lowry’s day lasted just six batters, and OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha turned to the Campbell transfer out of the pen.

Smith has struggled lately, but she settled the game for the Sooners. She pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, three walks and one run while firing back with a strikeout — a performance that provided a much-needed mental boost.

“Coach Rocha and I have been working really, really hard just getting my mental right,” Smith said on Sunday. “I think that’s probably where I’ve struggled the most. But I came in today and this week I’ve really just been trusting my stuff and trusting the talents that God has given me.”

She was close to getting her swagger back against Alabama last Sunday, but a pair of bunt-singles loaded the bases and ended her day.

“I think I felt I was definitely getting closer too,” said Smith, “and I was allowed to take that into this week for bullpens and keep it going throughout the rest of the season.”

Landry’s Long Day

Oklahoma catcher Isabela Emerling and pitcher Sam Landry | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Shortly after Smith exited the first game on Sunday, the ball was given to Landry to close.

She threw 27 pitches and secured the win.

Then she started the series finale.

Landry pitched all seven innings, throwing 123 more pitches, to secure the sweep.

It wasn’t perfect, but Landry bounced back from allowing four runs in the first to enjoy a solid outing.

“I think (she battled) just a little bit of fatigue and she was pushing through it,” Emerling said. “Sam is always mentally in it, is always driven to compete. And I think it was just the physical tiredness that got her a little bit.”

Gasso doesn’t want to rely on just one pitcher, but Landry has proven against Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi State that she can put OU in a winning position while still pitching 14 innings or more in a series.

The Sooners have to battle through the postseason, but stacking wins will only allow Landry to bank rest in Oklahoma City — a hopeful prospect for a program looking to rewrite the record books again in June.