No. 4 Oklahoma (38-5, 12-5 SEC) completed its 14th comeback win of the season, defeating Mississippi State (33-13, 9-8) 6-5 in game one of Sunday's doubleheader at Love’s Field. The Sooners fought back from an early deficit with explosive hitting and a strong defensive performance to win its fourth SEC series matchup of the season.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Audrey Lowry drew her sixth start of the season, boasting a 5-0 record with 35 strikeouts and only two batters walked. However, a hot start from the Bulldog’s bats would end Lowry’s day early in the first, giving up four runs including a homer on the first pitch to start the game.
Redshirt senior Isabella Smith replaced Lowry in the circle. The right-handed pitcher, with a record of 8-1, got the Sooners out of the inning after Mississippi State jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead.
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Oklahoma responded swiftly with a first-pitch solo home run from sophomore right-fielder Kasidi Pickering. The homer was Pickering’s 13th of the season, a team high, and third in SEC play.
Top Row Tank 👀@PickeringKasidi 2️⃣5️⃣8️⃣ to right field! pic.twitter.com/Uo4UbLJeXh
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 20, 2025
The Sooners offense didn’t stop there. An RBI-double from senior Cydney Sanders sent sophomore Ella Parker home from first. Junior second-baseman Ailana Agbayani took the first pitch of the next at-bat up the middle for an RBI-single, scoring a third run and cutting the Mississippi State lead down to 4-3 through the first inning.
Smith and the Oklahoma field settled in after the first inning, showing off the resilience and strength of the Sooners’ defense with plays coming from all around the diamond. Smith allowed only three hits and one run through the next four, holding the Bulldogs to three scoreless and two hitless innings.
big pitch Bella 😤@isabellajay17 | 🔗 » https://t.co/Th2U6csrhI pic.twitter.com/slo5tiayVV
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 20, 2025
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A one-run inning in the third tied the game at 4-4, before Mississippi State responded with a run of its own in the fourth. The game’s momentum shifted in the Sooners’ favor with a two-run inning, powered by a Cydney Sanders RBI-single and pitch in the dirt that got away from the catcher, allowing freshman Gabbie Garcia to score from third.
ball in the dirt, take advantage! Sooners have the lead!🔗 » https://t.co/Th2U6csZ7g pic.twitter.com/Z5EA1CnmOV
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 20, 2025
The two-run rally gave Oklahoma its first lead of the day, 6-5, and put the Sooners in the driver's seat with two innings left to play.
The sixth inning saw three Oklahoma pitchers. Smith, who pitched 4.2 innings for the longest relief appearance of the season for the Sooners, was replaced by junior left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal. Deal only threw six pitches before being replaced by the Sooners’ ace, senior right-handed pitcher Sam Landry.
Landry, who pitched a complete game shutout in the series opener, picked up where Smith and Deal left off, forcing the final two outs of the inning with a pop fly and ground out. A one-two-three in the seventh sealed the deal, with Oklahoma taking the series with a 6-5 win.
Next, Oklahoma will look to complete the series sweep in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader with Mississippi State, starting 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one at Love’s Field.
This story was edited by Hannah Bryant.
