The No. 2 Oklahoma softball team took two of three games from No. 4 Texas over the weekend and was within three outs of completing a series sweep before Longhorn senior Katie Stewart spoiled the party with a two-run, walk-off home run in extra innings for an 8-6 Texas victory in Sunday's Red River Rivalry finale.
The Sooners (40-4, 13-2), who moved into the No. 1 position in this week's Softball America Top 25 and are expected to do the same when the new ESPN/USA Softball rankings come out on Tuesday, retained the top spot in the SEC standings by a game over Alabama with the series win at Texas. The Longhorns (33-6, 10-5), who just a couple of weeks ago were the top-ranked team in the country, have lost five of their last seven games.
Behind solid pitching performances by starting pitchers Audrey Lowry and Miali Guachino, Oklahoma trailed for just half an inning in winning the first two games of the Texas series. Lowry outdueled Texas All-American Teagan Kavan in the series-opener, pitching a six-hit, complete-game shutout, with the Sooners winning 3-0 behind home runs by Ella Parker, a two-run blast in the first inning, and a solo shot by Isabela Emerling in the sixth.
It was the first shutout loss suffered by Texas in over two years. The last time the Longhorns failed to score a run was a 3-0 road loss at Oklahoma State in March 2024.
Former Ole Miss transfer Guachino took the circle for the Sooners on Saturday and worked the first six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. Lowry came on in the seventh to record the final three outs in a 4-3 Oklahoma win. The big hit in the game was a three-run, game-winning home run in the fifth by the nation home-run leader Kendall Wells, her 31st of the season.
Sunday's finale was a different affair for the Sooners. Kavan was back in the circle for the Longhorns after throwing 145 pitches on Friday in a complete-game loss. LSU transfer Sydney Berzon got the call for Oklahoma.
Texas jumped out in front 3-0 in the second inning on a three-run home run by Texas lead-off hitter Kayden Henry. The Sooners slowly chipped away at the Longhorn lead, finally drawing even at 5-5 on a two-run home run blast by Gabbie Garcia with one away in the seventh inning.
Lowry came on in the seventh for OU and retired the Longhorns in order to send the game to extra innings. Sydney Barker walked to lead off the eighth inning for the Sooners. She advanced to second on a fielder's choice and scored on a single through the right side to give OU a 6-5 lead, its first of the game.
Heading to the bottom of the eighth and with Sooner ace Lowry in the circle, it appeared that Oklahoma was in good position to close out the game and the series, and post its 14th comeback win of the season.
All of that went up in smoke when Texas pinch hitter Hannah Wells greeted Lowry in the bottom of the eighth with a home run just inside the foul poll in left to tie the game. Three hitters later, the Longhorns' top hitter and best power bat, Stewart, finished things off with a towering two-run blast to left field, her second of the game, to give Texas a dramatic 8-6 win and avoid the series sweep.
Patty Gasso's crew has another big week ahead with a Wednesday night Bedlam matchup with in-state rival Oklahoma State, followed by a visit from Arkansas over the weekend for a three-game set at Love's Field. The No. 5 Razorbacks (35-6, 10-5) are tied with Texas in fifth place in the SEC standings.
3 observations from Sooners' Red River Rivalry series win
Sooners' 1-2 pitching duo sparkles in tough road test
Sophomore left-hander Audrey Lowry has been outstanding all season for the Sooners as the ace of the staff. She was on her game again in the series opener at Texas and going against one of the best pitchers in college softball in Texas' Teagan Kavan. Lowry worked a complete-game shutout, allowing just six hits (five singles and a triple), striking out four and issuing one base on balls. She threw 90 pitches (in contrast to 145 by Kavan), of which 59 were strikes, and posted her 18th win of the season, tied for second best in the SEC.
Miali Guachino, a transfer from Ole Miss, held the potent Texas lineup at bay in a six-inning start on Saturday, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out six and earning her 12th win of the season without a loss. Lowry and Guachino are a combined 30-2 on the season as the Sooners' one-two weekend punch.
Wells sets NCAA freshman single-season home run record
OU super freshman Kendall Wells' three-run four-bagger in the fifth inning on Saturday not only represented the eventual game-winning home run, but also set a new NCAA record for home runs in a single season by a freshman. Her 31st home run of the season broke the record held by OU's Jocelyn Alo and Lauren Chamberlain and Kelly Majam of Hawaii.
Wells is just four away from breaking the OU program record for home runs in a season and seven away from breaking the NCAA all-time individual record for home runs in a season, which currently belongs to Lauren Espinoza of Arizona (1995).
With six home runs in the Texas series, Oklahoma has hit 150 this season. That ranks No. 5 all-time in single-season home runs by a team. The all-time team record for home runs in a season is 161, set by Oklahoma in 2021.
ESPN switches away from the TV coverage, blacking out fans from Sunday's dramatic ending
After Oklahoma had come all the way back to tie Sunday's game at 5-5 in the top half of the seventh inning and taken a 6-5 lead in its first at-bat in extra innings, ESPN, without prior notification, broke away from the OU-Texas softball coverage to go to previously scheduled NBA pregame coverage. That left fans scrambling to go to their phone app, tablet or computer to see the conclusion of the game, which turned out to be a dramatic finish...and an Oklahoma shocker.
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