The No. 2 Sooners (49-7) beat the No. 15 Crimson Tide (40-22) 3-0 in a complete-game shutout from senior right-handed pitcher Sam Landry on Friday at Love's Field.
Unlike the programs’ previous matchup, Oklahoma controlled the game with an electric defensive performance and timely hitting.
The matchup started as a pitcher’s duel between Landry (23-4) and Alabama’s sophomore right-hander Jocelyn Briski (17-13).
Landry held Alabama’s offense to two hits and no runs through three innings, while Briski held the Sooners to just one hit through two scoreless innings to start the game.
Sam gets it done in the first!Due Up: Pick, Parker, Barker pic.twitter.com/GwD73T3Jut
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 23, 2025
“I love seeing (Landry) in the circle,” junior outfielder Abigale Dayton said. “Every time she comes in she comes up to us and she’s like ‘let’s go hitters’, you don’t see a pitcher that’s so involved in your offense, and it’s really fun to see.”
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering broke the stalemate in the bottom of the third, blasting a first-pitch two-run home run to center field. The homer was Pickering’s 18th of the season and 10th of NCAA Tournament play, giving OU a 2-0 lead after a three-hit, two-run third inning.
Her 10th homer in 44 NCAA Tourney ABs 🥵@PickeringKasidi | 📺ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/CRbiHgYda4
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 23, 2025
“(Pickering) is becoming an elite, elite hitter, and she was showing signs of it her freshman year; sophomore year it's without question,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “She changes games for us and she wins games for us, she starts games for us.”
The Sooners extended their lead in the fifth with a two-hit, one-run inning, highlighted by a two-out RBI single from standout freshman outfielder Sydney Barker.
Barker has played a vital role in OU’s offense recently, racking up seven hits and six runs over her last five outings.
Landry, backed by a strong Oklahoma defense, remained in control for the rest of the game. Landry finished the game with five strikeouts and two walks, giving up only four hits through seven innings of work in the shutout.
“I watched the three games from the last time we played them, really just seeing what we had already thrown them,” Landry said. “Coming into this game, knowing that we’re going to have to keep them off balance, and just kind of stay with what we’re good at.”
A one-two-three seventh inning sealed the deal, completing the shutout and giving the Sooners game one of the Super Regional.
HANNAH ❕ pic.twitter.com/OqSQtxkxDs
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 23, 2025
The defensive dominance was a key factor in the win, and the Sooners will look to build on their game one performance, needing just one more win to move on to the Women’s College World Series.
Next, the Sooners will face Alabama in game two of the Super Regional on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Alabama on today?
TV channel: ESPN2
Start time: 4 p.m.
Location: Love’s Field
Notes: Oklahoma (48-7) is coming off a dominant performance in the Norman Regional, with three five-inning run-rule wins against Boston University (8-0) and Cal (11-2, 12-1). The Sooners matchup with Alabama (40-21) is the programs’ 18th all-time meeting, with Alabama leading the series 10-7.
Oklahoma softball schedule
Regular Season
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, Hoftsra 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
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 (8 inn.)
March 29: Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 1
March 30: Oklahoma 3, Tennessee 5
April 1: Oklahoma 13, UT Arlington 2 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 12, St. Thomas 4 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 6, UCF 0
April 9: Oklahoma 11, Oklahoma State 3 (5 inn.)
April 12: Oklahoma 5, Alabama 1
April 13: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 6
April 14: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 2
April 18: Oklahoma 4, Mississippi State 0
April 20: Oklahoma 6, Mississippi State 5
April 20: Oklahoma 9, Mississippi State 6
April 25: Oklahoma 7, Texas 6
April 26: Oklahoma 7, Texas 2
April 27: Oklahoma 9, Texas 8
May 1: Oklahoma 6, Florida 5 (9 inn.)
May 2: Oklahoma 4, Florida 9
May 3: Oklahoma 4, Florida 6
SEC Tournament
May 8: Oklahoma 4, LSU 1
May 9: Oklahoma 8, Arkansas 6
May 10: Oklahoma, Texas A&M (CANCLED)
NCAA Regional
May 16: Oklahoma 8, Boston University 0 (5inn.)
May 17: Oklahoma 11, Cal 2 (5inn.)
May 18: Oklahoma 12, Cal 1 (5inn.)
NCAA Super Regional
May 23: Oklahoma vs. Alabama at 4 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
This story was edited by Parker Coyne.
