Maya Bland, Sam Landry pave OU softball to victory in thriller at Alabama
Those final outs are the toughest ones to get against OU softball. There’s just this feeling the Sooners can turn it all around with one swing.
But nobody could have predicted it would be sophomore Maya Bland for the second game in a row. It was, and it needed to be.
Bland hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to propel OU to a 5-1 victory at Alabama on Saturday afternoon.
The Sooners trailed 1-0 entering the top of the seventh. Bland came up with one out and Gabbie Garcia on first base. Down in the count, Bland turned on one to take it over the right field wall.
And just like in Bedlam against Oklahoma State on Wednesday, that began something. OU plated three more runs and gave pitcher Sam Landry a little breathing room.
Landry didn’t need much help. As good as she was against OSU, she was even better in a great road environment in Tuscaloosa.
Landry went the distance, allowing just three hits with two walks and striking out six. She continues to show time and time again that she is up to the task of being the OU ace. Landry ended the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
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Ailana Agbayani and Kasidi Pickering each drove in runs on hits. OU did all of its damage in the seventh with that one out. As they love to say, pass the bat.
Bland, of course, hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth against OSU to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. That became an 11-3 run-rule victory.
Head coach Patty Gasso said she’s excited about where this team is going. These are the types of games that show how the young team is growing up together and figuring it out. Not a finished product, by any means, but to do that on the road, in the seventh? That’s momentum, for sure.
Up next
Game 1 delivered, here we go Sunday. No. 2 OU (36-3 overall, 10-3 SEC) is back at Bama on Sunday and Monday. The Sunday game is scheduled for 5 p.m., with Monday at 6 p.m. Both will be on the SEC Network.
