OKLAHOMA CITY — Things looked dire for Oklahoma on Thursday, and it wasn’t just because of the scoreboard.
The Sooners trailed Tennessee 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning and were in danger of losing their Women’s College World Series opener. But the hurt would’ve been about more than just losing to the Volunteers. They would’ve dropped to the loser’s bracket and been forced to play a do-or-die game on Friday against a Florida team that beat them twice to end the regular season.
The Sooners would’ve also been in a dire situation with the pitching staff. Ace pitcher Sam Landry went all seven innings and threw 139 pitches against Tennessee, and the Sooners would’ve had to decide between throwing Landry against Florida without rest or lean on another arm.
Ella Parker‘s heroic walk-off home run completely changed the equation.
With one swing, the Sooners beat the Volunteers 4-3 at Devon Park. They advance to the winner’s bracket on Saturday and will have a day to rest before clashing with Texas (2 p.m. ABC)
OU coach Patty Gasso knows how significant that is for the Sooners.
“Winning the first game sets you up,” Gasso said. “It’s really, really important. And I think this team doesn’t even know that. We talked about it, and they don’t listen. They just do their thing.
“Now that they know they get a day off, they’re going to celebrate harder than they did when the ball got hit over the fence. So they like their rest. It’s a big blessing for your team.”
Gasso is well aware of how crucial it is to win. She pointed to the 2021 season, when the Sooners fell to James Madison, 4-3, in the first round. The Sooners eventually recovered to beat Florida State in the championship series, but they ended their run by playing eight games over the span of seven days.
“It is an absolute bear to try, almost impossible,” Gasso said. “I remember that year… It was us and Florida State losing our first games here and playing every game you could possibly play to get to the national championship game together in different brackets.
“It is very, very difficult. It is exhausting, to the point where you’re like, I feel uncomfortable with how these players look. They’re completely out of gas. Thankfully we’ve added more off days.”
By beating Tennessee, the Sooners get some much-needed rest before playing a Texas team that they swept in a three-game series early this season. If they win that game, the Sooners would get another rest day on Sunday before preparing for the WCWS semifinal on Monday.
One win doesn’t equate to a national championship. Neither does extra rest. Gasso, who is in her 31st season with the Sooners, knows that better than anyone. This is the first go around in Oklahoma City for most of these players, and the Tennessee win was a new experience for much of the roster.
But she’s never been more confident in her team, who now have a day to relax and prepare for the Longhorns.
“They never say they’re underdogs,” Gasso said. “They just think that people don’t completely believe in them because they’re so new to the program, and they just keep proving otherwise.”
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