How Sam Landry emptied the tank, leaves OU with zero regrets after WCWS loss

OKLAHOMA CITY – That’s not how the final moments were supposed to go for OU softball pitcher Sam Landry.

But she also didn’t want that heartbreak for former head coach Gerry Glasco. However, that was the hand they were dealt, someone was going to lose between Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Following one more memorable, legendary battle, it was Landry whose college career ended in a 3-2 defeat to the Red Raiders on Monday night in the Women’s College World Series semifinals at Devon Park.

Texas Tech advances to the championship series against Texas. OU’s quest for a fifth straight national championship is over.

Honestly, though? Not much more Landry could have done.

“As the game went on, I just kept telling myself to – just to leave it all out there,” Landry said. “So that’s what I did.”

Emotions flowing out with every sentence following the game, Landry threw more than 400 pitches for OU in the WCWS. The final one? Ended up being a game-winning sacrifice fly for Tech to earn its firth berth in the championship series.

OU had miraculously tied the game with a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run by Abby Dayton in the top of the seventh off star Tech pitcher NiJaraee Canady.

OU wasn’t backing down, but neither was Tech.

Landry and Glasco might be intertwined forever. The duo forged their bond at Louisiana before both went a different direction for 2025.

Glasco to Lubbock and Landry to Norman. But immediately after the game? The love was poured out.

“At the end? I love you,” Glasco said. “Like, I’m sorry. I wish her career – I hated that we had to play today. I just hated it. I would have rather her finished her career against anybody besides me. And I would have rather played anybody than her to go to the championship. But we don’t control that.

“And I love you. You were fantastic tonight. You were great. I’ve enjoyed watching her all year. Mainly I love you.”

Landry finishes her lone season at OU at 25-6. She threw 6.2 innings, allowing six hits, three earned runs, three walks and six strikeouts in 122 pitches.

Consider the tank emptied, nothing left. No regrets.

“It’s bittersweet,” Landry said. “I wished him luck going forward. Neither one of us wanted to be where we met in postseason. Super happy for them. That’s a lot of my old teammates. I’m glad they’re getting to experience. I’m glad I had the experience I did here at Oklahoma. It was definitely God’s path for me.”

If OU was going to make some sort of magical run to a fifth straight national championship, it had to find an ace.

Not sure anybody last summer thought Landry was going to be that person for OU. But she turned into it.

Nothing flashy, just gritty. Someone who found her love of the game again by being with the Sooners.

Just one season, but showing she could be one of the best, is one of the best. The SEC Newcomer of the Year and now ready to become a professional.

No aspirations of playing beyond this season, Landry was the No. 1 overall pick in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft.

She found her joy again, no doubt. Landry just wishes it had a better final chapter as a Sooner.

“I just go back to when I was recruiting her out of the portal and literally sat in an IHOP with her and made her an offer in Norman, with her family,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “Her mom kind of disappeared, went into the restroom. I was like, what’s going on? Are we yes? Are we no? I don’t know.

“She didn’t want to leave her family. Her mom didn’t want her to leave but she knew this was right. So it started off like, yes or no, come on, what are we doing? When she said yes, I was so excited about that because I knew Coach Rocha could create something really special. And I think Sam, no offense to anything or anyone, she’s a different pitcher here. I can’t tell you how fun it was to watch her have that confidence and lead us in that way.

“Man, I really had a lot of fun with her. We connect really well, and she’s got a very infectious smile, but she’s that big of a person.”