Whether it's one loss or just one strike needed to take them out, never count out Patty Gasso's Oklahoma Sooners.
The No. 2 Sooners got past the No. 16 Oregon Ducks 4-1 on Sunday evening at Devon Park in an elimination game of the 2025 Women's College World Series. The victory moved OU two wins over Texas Tech away from going to the WCWS championship series for the sixth tournament in a row. The last time the WCWS final didn't include the Sooners was 2018.
Sooners survive Oregon in elimination game with Texas Tech ahead
Four straight national titles haven't come easy for the Sooners, so neither should a fifth. Sunday night was the ninth straight time OU faced elimination in the WCWS and prevailed to survive. OU hasn't failed in an WCWS elimination game since losing to UCLA in the championship series in 2019.
This trip to Oklahoma City has been a battle for the Sooners so far. OU has trailed first in all three WCWS games to this point. Oregon took the early lead Sunday with a run in the second inning, but that was all the Ducks would muster. Catcher Isabela Emerling gave the Sooners a quick answer with a solo shot the next frame.
The Sooners took the lead in the third inning with a two-run blast from first baseman Cydney Sanders. Sanders then hit a solo home run over left field in the fifth for the Sooners' final run of the night and more cushion than they even needed.
The duo of Kierston Deal and Sam Landry made sure the Sooners didn't need much offense to survive. Deal started and took care of the first 2 2/3 innings while getting through Oregon's lineup once before Landry, OU's ace, took over in the third. Landry ultimately got the win after holding the Ducks scoreless the rest of the way while striking out six.
Landry will immediately be needed again the next day when the Sooners appear in their ninth straight WCWS semifinals while needing to beat No. 12 Texas Tech twice on Monday. Two wins gets OU to the best-of-three championship series against the winner of Texas and Tennessee.
Texas Tech will be at full strength after playing only two games so far and getting rewarded with a day of rest between both wins. That also means 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year NiJaree Canady will be ready to go in the circle after giving up only one run in two complete games so far in the WCWS.
Landry, meanwhile, will be needed for the third day in a row after throwing a combined 171 pitches between Sunday and a loss to Texas on Saturday. She also tallied 139 pitches in a win against Tennessee on Thursday.
The Sooners and Texas Tech will face off at 6 p.m. CT Monday on ESPN. If OU wins, then there will be a second game at 8:30 p.m., with the winner going to the championship series. However, if Texas Tech wins just one, then the Red Raiders will make the WCWS finals for the first time in program history.
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