NORMAN — It was a scene Oklahoma players and fans have seen plenty of times before.
Ella Parker stepped to the plate during last Friday's game against UCF with bases loaded, as the crowd at Love's Field held its collective breath. Like she has 18 other times in her career, Parker made contact and sent the ball over the left field fence for a home run.
But as her teammates celebrated with her at home plate, it was clear this was a particularly special home run. The true sophomore has been struggling with a leg injury the last several weeks, which has caused her significant discomfort at the plate.
But on that at-bat, Parker looked like her old self again.
"(It was) huge for her, but even more important for us as a team because we’re so used to her and what she can do with one swing," OU coach Patty Gasso said. "It’s just a matter of handling pain and what pain can do to your mind when it just won’t go away. She has gotten better at handling that.
"But she’s still going to be dealing with this through the rest of the season."
It was a very encouraging play for Parker as she continues to work through some pain.
The expectations were high for Parker this season after she played a vital role during last year's national championship team, when she led the team in batting average (.415) and finished on the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team as a true freshman. She picked up right where she left off through the first few weeks of the season — through the first 19 games, she had logged 31 hits in 54 at-bats (.574 batting average) to go with 22 RBIs, four home runs and 15 walks.
But since conference play, Parker's production at the plate has sharply fallen. She's batting .067 against SEC opponents, logging just two hits and four RBIs in 30 at-bats. Parker simply hasn't looked comfortable, and Gasso revealed last month that she's been dealing with an injury.
Parker and the Sooners have worked through potential solutions, which includes plenty of rest and even a change in the cleats she wears.
"It's definitely been a little frustrating, just the process that I'm in," Parker said Tuesday. "I'm trying to do whatever it takes to be with my team and be for my team. Whatever that meant, just doing all of that for them."
The injury process took another major step forward in the Sooners' 11-3 win over Oklahoma State on Thursday. Parker went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk, as the Sooners showed how potent their offense can be when she's leading the way.
The home run against UCO was a big moment, but finding her comfort throughout an entire game was another positive sign.
"I don’t know that any of us know what exactly she’s going through," Gasso said after the game. "I mean, she holds it back. She doesn’t show it and it definitely mess with your psyche and I think it was for a little bit. But things are changing. I can feel that in her and her confidence and her swings are strong.
"I’m so happy for her because she’s been really battling this and I think she might be coming out of this now."
It's an ongoing battle for Parker, who may deal with pain management the rest of the season. But if the last two games are any indication, things are trending in a good direction for Parker.
"Obviously there's gonna be pain," Parker said. "But adrenaline kicks in, so that's been really helpful to ease my mind. It's just not being able to feel 100%. I feel like I have to lean a lot on my teammates. I feel like I'm not at my best, but knowing my teammates have my back has been really, really — it's given me a lot of relief."
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