Oklahoma beat Tennessee 4-1 behind junior left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal.
Oklahoma looked to bounce back from its first loss in a series opener of the season and second loss of the year.
Deal drew her seventh start of the season, coming into the game with a 2.98 ERA and 6-0 record. Tennessee put runners in scoring position early with a pair of hits and aggressive base running.
Deal and the Oklahoma defense settled in, leading to a pop up to freshman Gabbie Garcia and a ground out to redshirt freshman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas from former Sooner Sophia Nugent for the last two outs, escaping a first inning jam.
The Sooners got on the board early with an RBI triple from Garcia after Tennessee’s Gabby Leach missed the ball deep in right field, allowing sophomore Kasidi Pickering to score from first.
we'll take that ☀️1-0 Sooners! pic.twitter.com/j6q1VefKk0
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 29, 2025
Oklahoma would end the inning stranding two runners on base, a stat it needed to minimize after leaving eight runners on base in game one.
Oklahoma on its lead in the bottom of the third. A single from Garcia and a walk for sophomore Ella Parker put runners on first and second. With two outs, senior Cydney Sanders turned on a 1-1 pitch and sent a three-run bomb over the left field wall, extending the Sooners lead to 4-0.
“I didn’t really stress too much; I didn’t really worry about if it was two strikes or anything like that. Just see ball, hit ball really,” Sanders said on her three-run homer.
Cydney Slamders Time ‼️ 3-Run Bomb 💣 pic.twitter.com/ijrWtig1sH
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 29, 2025
Deal was dialed through six innings, allowing only four hits and one run. Deal worked all areas of the zone and threw a whopping 14 first-pitch strikes with three strikeouts. Oklahoma needed its pitching staff to step up after senior right-handed pitcher Sam Landry’s eight inning performance in game one, and Deal did just that.
fire us up @DealKierston 🔥📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/Ij6GWa34Wn
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 29, 2025
The Sooners held the lead 4-1 heading into the top of the seventh. Deal dealt her 15th first-pitch strike to Nugent to start the inning and finished the at bat for her fourth strikeout out of the game, sitting down the former Sooner who gave Oklahoma nightmares the night before with a two-run home run in extra innings.
Deal struck out the next batter for the second out and her fifth K on the day. A diving catch from junior Ailana Agbayani for the final out sealed the game, earning Deal her seventh win of the season and evening up the series at 1-1 a piece.
“We’re doing other things besides hitting a ball off the wall,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “I think the last play on defense was indicative of if maybe our offense isn’t on all cylinders, your pitching and your defense can win you games, and so we relied on that.”
The win was the response the Sooners needed after dropping game one. With the series tied, Oklahoma will look to finish the job in game three on Sunday at 1 p.m. for potentially its fourth straight SEC series win of the season.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Tennessee on today?
TV channel: ESPN
Start time: 1 p.m.
Location: Love’s Field
Notes: Oklahoma is coming off a 5-2 loss to Tennessee in the series opener.
Oklahoma softball schedule
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 7, Cal State Northridge 2
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 11, San Diego State 6 (9 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 8, Cal Baptist 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 13, Cal State Fullerton 3
Feb. 8: Oklahoma 9, Loyola Marymount 0
Feb 9: Oklahoma 2, Long Beach State 0 (11 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 8, Hofstra 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 9, Baylor 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 11, Hofstra 3 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 8, Baylor 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 8, Tulsa 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 23: Oklahoma 8, Wichita State 1
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 8, Bowling Green 5 (8 inn.)
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 9, Abilene Christian 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Marshall 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Kansas 1 (6 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 8, Kansas 0 (5 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 11, Marshall 0 (5 inn.)
March 2: Oklahoma 17, Kansas City 1 (5 inn.)
March 7: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 2, South Carolina 1
March 12: Oklahoma 10, Tulsa 2 (6 inn.)
March 14: Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 0
March 15: Oklahoma 6, Arkansas 4
March 16: Oklahoma 10, Arkansas 7
March 19: Oklahoma 8, East Texas A&M 0 (5 inn.)
March 21: Oklahoma 8, Missouri 0 (5 inn.)
March 22: Oklahoma 1, Missouri 3
March 23: Oklahoma 5, Missouri 1
March 26: Oklahoma 19, Wichita State 16
March 28: Oklahoma 2, Tennessee 5
March 29: vs. Tennessee at 1 p.m. (TV: ESPN)
March 30: vs. Tennessee at 1 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 1: at UT Arlington at 6 p.m. (TV: TBD)
April 4: vs. St. Thomas at 4 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 4: vs. UCF at 7 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 5: vs. UCF at 12:30 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 9: at Oklahoma State at 6:30 p.m. (TV: TBD)
April 12: at Alabama at 2:30 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
April 13: at Alabama at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
April 14: at Alabama at 6 p.m. (TV: SECN)
April 18: vs. Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 19: vs. Mississippi State at 1 p.m. (TV: SECN)
April 20: vs. Mississippi State at 1 p.m. (TV: SECN+)
April 25: vs. Texas at 5 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
April 26: vs. Texas at 11 a.m. (TV: ESPN2)
April 27: vs. Texas at 1 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
May 1: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 2: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 3: at Florida at 2 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
This article was edited by Josh McDaniel.
PHOTOS: Oklahoma Sooners-Tennessee Volunteers softball
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt junior catcher Isabela Emerling during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteers during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior outfielder Abigale Dayton during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
OU softball announcer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior infielder Ailana Agbayani during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Former OU softball player Alyssa Brito
OU softball glove during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooner fan during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooner fans during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt freshman infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteers during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt junior catcher Isabela Emerling during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior outfielder Abigale Dayton during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt junior catcher Isabela Emerling during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteers during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior outfielder Abigale Dayton during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Senior infielder Cydney Sanders during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Senior infielder Cydney Sanders during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Senior infielder Cydney Sanders during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Senior infielder Cydney Sanders during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior infielder Ailana Agbayani during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooner fan during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee softball assistant coach Craig Snider during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee catcher during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
SEC Umpire during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior infielder Ailana Agbayani during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Junior infielder Ailana Agbayani during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Redshirt junior catcher Isabela Emerling during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Tennessee Volunteer during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sooners during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Freshman infielder Kadey Lee Mckay during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Freshman infielder Kadey Lee Mckay during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
SEC Umpire during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Freshman infielder Kadey Lee Mckay during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
Sophomore outfielder Maya Bland during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
OU softball head coach Patty Gasso during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
OU softball coaches Patty Gasso and JT Gasso during the game against Tennessee on March 29.
