NORMAN — With a team featuring so many newcomers and young players, every weekend is a learning experience for this Oklahoma softball team.

Last weekend at Missouri brought a first-time experience for this group — losing.

The Sooners (29-1, 8-1 SEC) came away with the series victory at the Tigers but suffered their first loss of the season, falling 3-1 on Saturday. The pitching staff gave up some early runs, the offense came out flat and the Sooners never recovered.

Losing is never fun for OU coach Patty Gasso. But for this group, it was an important, and inevitable, stepping stone.

"We learned that we were going to lose a game, so that was important to have happened eventually," Gasso told OUInsider Tuesday. "We learned that the fans are really, really good. We felt that environment. It was interesting to feel it from the other side and it definitely made a little bit of a difference. We got the run rule (on Friday), we came into Saturday like ‘we got this”. We (were) taught that we need to work on some rhythm, control and so forth."

That game showed some of the questions the Sooners will have to answer as they progress through SEC play and into the postseason. But that experience also brought another new experience of bouncing back from a rough game. Sunday's game certainly wasn't easy, as the Sooners fell down 1-0 early and were tied 1-1 heading into the sixth inning. But they eventually found their offense late in a 5-1 win.

That weekend should offer some important lessons the rest of the way.

"On Saturday, we just were giving them too many hits. Our defense was trying to stop it, but if our pitching staff gives up three runs, we should be able to win a game," Gasso said. "And that's something that was a little bit frustrating. And I just felt (Sunday), we came out almost the same way. But once we got into it, I just really was proud of the way they finished... I really liked the way we finished the third game at the end, offensively, with some really new names having some great execution."

Parker was elite last season as a true freshman, then looked completely unstoppable through the first few weekends this season. However, Parker's production has fallen off a bit in conference play.

Through nine conference games, Parker has a .091 batting average and a .375 on-base percentage, and she has just two hits in 22 at-bats. Parker stayed afloat through the first two weekends with 10 walks, but last weekend was particularly tough for the sophomore. She had a home run in Game 1 but otherwise went 0-for-8 at the plate with no walks.

Parker — who started 58 games and led the Sooners last season with a .415 batting average — still leads the team in batting average this season (.436), which is a testament to how well she played early in the year. Gasso made it sound like Parker is currently working through a lower-body injury that has impacted her during this recent stretch.

"She has been a trooper," Gasso said. "I think she's a little frustrated. If you just feel kind of that constant pain every time you take a step, it just doesn't feel good. I talk to her every day about, what is it doing to you? She's like, 'I'm good, as long as I can put my turfs back on.' There's certain things that really help relieve the pain she's feeling in her leg.

"But she's swinging well. She had a frustrating weekend and she would tell you that, but she's gonna be there when we need her. I know that. I trust that. If I have to bring in a runner, I'll do it. I just need her mindset to stay where it is."

The redshirt freshman has been sensational this season, batting .485 in SEC play while leading the team in runs (15), hits (16), doubles (3), home runs (7) and RBIs (18).

But who is the fastest pitcher she has faced this season? Landry, her teammate that was named as the SEC Pitcher of the Week earlier this week for the third time this season.

How does McEnroe-Marinas try to attack her when the two are battling in practice?

"Close my eyes and swing," McEnroe-Marinas joked. "I try to gameplan against her, but she's gotta a bunch of tricks up her sleeve. It's very, could be this, could be that. Just try to trust it, I guess."

The freshman pitcher hasn't played in seven consecutive games as she's dealing with a muscle strain. Lowry went through practices last week but eventually sat out the entire series against Missouri.

Lowry, who has a 2.10 ERA and .183 batting average, will again go through practice this week.

"I believe she's going to be throwing some pitches here before the end of the week," Gasso said. "Short count, and just see how we're doing."

It's unclear if Lowry will play in Wednesday night's clash at Wichita State (6 p.m. ESPN+) or this weekend against Tennessee.

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