No. 1 Oklahoma beat Missouri 5-1 in game three on Sunday in Columbia, Missouri to take the series win 2-1 behind senior right-handed pitcher Sam Landry’s dominant performances.
The Sooners (29-1, 8-1 SEC) won against the Tigers (18-15, 1-5 SEC) in game three after suffering their first loss of the season on Saturday. A gritty back-and-forth SEC matchup showed the Sooners can take a hit and keep swinging.
The Sooners started the series off strong in game one with a three-run homer in the top of the first from freshman Gabbie Garcia, marking her team-high 10th home run of the season and the 57th team total.
Landry drew her eighth start of the season, and the ace did what she does best. Through five innings, Landry struck out four batters and gave up only one hit as Missouri’s Claire Cahalan reached first off an error for the Tigers’ only hit of the game. Landry and the Oklahoma defense dominated, keeping the Sooners in the driver's seat and holding Missouri scoreless all evening.
Oklahoma’s bats cooled down after the first, but came alive in the fifth as redshirt freshman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas turned on a 2-1 pitch, barreling a two-run shot over the left field wall to give the Sooners a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Ella Parker provided the knockout punch later in the inning with a three-run home run that bounced off the glove of Missouri’s Kayley Lenger and over the centerfield wall. The homer secured the 8-0 run rule win through five innings and earned Landry her eighth win of the season.
ELLAvate & Celebrate 🎉@ellaparkerrr_ pic.twitter.com/O0jFk7UXni
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 21, 2025
After a dominant team performance in game one, Oklahoma uncharacteristically struggled on both sides of the ball in game two.
Redshirt senior pitcher Isabella Smith started the game for the Sooners. Smith entered the afternoon 7-0 on the season, but the Tigers set the tone early in the first with a solo-shot to center field from Madison Walker. After a single from Taylor Ebbs, an RBI double from Stefania Abruscate would give Missouri a 2-0 lead through the first.
Smith finished with one strikeout, giving up six hits and two runs before being replaced by junior Kierston Deal in the bottom of the third. Missouri was unfazed by the pitching change as Ebbs homered to left on a 1-1 pitch, extending the Tigers lead to 3-0. Deal would keep Missouri in check the rest of the game with three strikeouts, not allowing any more hits or runs.
The Sooners defense settled in, but the offense couldn’t find its groove. Oklahoma’s hitting has been productive all season, averaging more than 8.7 runs per game, but Missoui’s pitching duo of Cierra Harrison and Taylor Pannell were up for the test. Oklahoma finished the game with five hits, but left 10 runners stranded on bases.
One of those hits came from McEnroe-Marinas off a solo home-run in the top of the seventh for the Sooners first run of the day. The much needed spark came too late as Missouri recorded the final two outs on a Kasidi Pickering strikeout and an Ella Parker ground out. The 3-1 loss was the first of the season for Oklahoma and ended their 31-game win streak that dated back to last year’s College World Series. The series was tied at 1-1 heading into Sunday’s final game.
Game three provided a perfect opportunity for the Sooners to respond to their first loss of the season, and they did just that. After pitching in Friday’s game one win, Landry drew the start for the final game of the series. Landry was on fire through the first two innings, recording five strikeouts, one more than she had through five innings in game one. She would go on to give up a solo homerun to Missouri’s Julia Crenshaw in the bottom of the third, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead, but this time Oklahoma’s offense would provide a response.
In the top of the fourth, McEnroe-Marinas answered with a one-run homer to tie the game at 1-1 a piece. The homer marked her ninth of the season and her third in three games of the series, each coming on different days.
Nellyville 💥 pic.twitter.com/Bq6ZkL6Mbd
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 23, 2025
The runs didn’t stop there. In the top of the sixth, following a single from junior Abigale Dayton, Pickering crushed a 2-2 pitch over centerfield for a two-run homer, extending the Sooners lead to 3-1.
The bottom of the sixth saw two line drives fielded for outs by McEnroe-Marinas and Garcia. Landry’s performance on the mound led to her ninth strikeout of the game to retire the side, setting up the Sooners for another offensive rally in the seventh.
Senior Sydney Sanders reached first on an error, setting up redshirt junior Isabela Emerling’s first hit of the series down the third base line for an RBI double. An RBI single from redshirt junior Hannah Coor sent sophomore Maya Bland home from second, to bring the Oklahoma lead to 5-1.
After scoring five unanswered runs, Landry and the Sooners defense came in to finish the job. After a groundout to Garcia for the first out, Landry fielded two balls that bounced back to her for the final two outs, capping off her complete game and the 11th comeback win of the season for Oklahoma.
The series win over Missouri was the Sooners third SEC series win of the season, and second SEC series win on the road. The series proved Oklahoma is mortal, as they suffer their first loss of the season, but also goes to show the resilience and strength of head coach Patty Gasso’s team.
Next, Oklahoma will face Wichita State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Wichita, Kansas.
This story was edited by Hannah Bryant and Josh McDaniel.
