Softball vs Georgia

Sooner fans during the game against Georgia on April 25, 2026.

 Esther Hodson/OU Daily

No. 1 OU (48-8, 20-5 SEC) fell to No. 13 Georgia (38-17, 13-12 SEC) 10-5 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals after a late-game collapse by the Sooners, fueled by a string of Bulldog home runs in the fourth inning.

Here are takeaways:

OU blows five run lead in tournament collapse

After OU jumped out to a 5-0 lead following a four-run first inning and a solo home run from freshman outfielder Kai Minor in the second, Georgia stormed back with 10 unanswered runs to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals.

The Sooners entered tournament play ranked No. 1, while Georgia entered the matchup as the No. 9 seed and embraced the underdog role.

Georgia entered Thursday’s matchup with momentum after defeating LSU 7-3 Wednesday night in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. OU’s first-round bye, however, did not work in its favor. The Sooners managed just six hits, five of which came within the first two innings.

 

 

Pitching woes continue to plague Sooners

 

After 10 unanswered runs and 11 hits, the Sooners pitching staff allowed four or more runs for the fifth time in the last six games. 

Sophomore pitcher Miali Guachino got the ball to start the game where she went 3.1 innings with two earned runs. After Guachino got into some trouble in the third inning, two-way freshman Allyssa Parker came into the game and allowed a game-tying three run home run.

Parker recorded just one out before sophomore ace Audrey Lowry entered in relief and allowed four runs across 2.1 innings. The Sooners will continue searching for consistency in a pitching rotation that has struggled to find its rhythm as the season approaches its finish.

Freshman Kendall Wells still searching for record

Freshman catcher Kendall Wells remained at 36 home runs after going 1-for-3 at the plate, as Georgia pitchers largely worked around her throughout the game.

Wells still trails the NCAA single season all-time home run record by one, set by Laura Espinoza in 1995 when she hit 37.

Even though the spotlight has been on Wells  for most of the season, UCLA senior Megan Grant hit her 36th home run of the season Thursday night. With the towering blast, Grant tied Wells and is, too, just one shy of tying Espinoza’s record.

Wells will continue to look for her moment to etch her name into history as the NCAA Tournament approaches. 

Next, the Sooners will wait until Sunday when they will find out their seeding for the NCAA Tournament, with hopes of hosting a regional still alive.

This article was edited by Joshua McDaniel.

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