OU Battle Series ends in walk-off as Sooners continue to grow, make strides
It’s still an adjustment, even for OU softball head coach Patty Gasso. Trying to figure out what the 2025 team’s identity is going to be is a challenge after all those seniors, all those championships.
But as fall ball ended Wednesday? You know the pitching will be there for OU. The Sooners’ staff didn’t allow a run in any of the scrimmages. And in the final Battle Series? Runs were at a premium one more time until late in the contest.
“The pitchers have been the highlight of this season to me,” said Gasso last week. “I mean, we’re not striking out 15 a game, but we’re getting outs. We’re going to make this defense the best you’ve seen. We’re really going to make them good, because we have to. Because they’re going to be very important for the pitcher’s success.
“So that is something that I’m counting on. But the pitchers threw well. They did a good job. We haven’t allowed a run all fall with the exception of the battle series. But I like what the pitchers are doing. I really do.”
It’s just going to be about how quickly the freshmen mature and get comfortable. They’re going to be needed for the Sooners, can’t just sit in the background.
You’ve started to see some emerge and make a name like Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Tia Milloy. But more will have to take that next step during the winter and into spring.
Opening statement
“So it’s a little bittersweet because usually I’m like, okay, yea, fall is done. Yea, let’s be done. I don’t want to be done like I feel like we still want to keep going. And I think they feel that way too. So that’s what’s exciting, is the hunger is still there.” – Gasso
Team Sooner 5, Team Boomer 4 (7 innings)
OU pitchers had done a great job all evening of working out tight spots. But flirted with danger one too many times in the bottom of the sixth.
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Kasidi Pickering drilled a three-run home run to provide the huge bomb that got the hitting rolling. Pickering, the standout sophomore, had seven home runs during the fall ball session.
Isabela Emerling did the same with a towering two-run shot in the top of the seventh.
And a weird way to close it out with an Ailana Agbayani walk-off fielder’s choice.
Eventually, a hit had to be found because until then? Pitchers were mowing ‘em up and mowing ‘em down.
Sam Landry, who might have been the breakout star of fall, threw four scoreless innings. Paytn Monticelli, poised for a much bigger role, allowed one run in three innings.
Audrey Lowry and Kierston Deal both had their moments as well in the circle. Gasso even let position stars Ella Parker and Ailana Agbayani get a shot pitching late.
Agbayani had an RBI double, while McEnroe-Marinas added an RBI single. Abby Dayton had a solo home run in the top of the seventh.
OU, not surprisingly, set a fall ball attendance record of 6,463.
