After setting virtually every record there was in the Big 12 Conference, Patty Gasso and the Oklahoma Sooners have officially begun their onslaught against the pages of the SEC record book.
With a monstrous three-run blast from freshman Gabbie Garcia, the Sooners overcame a five-run deficit to walk-off Arkansas, 8-6, and are headed to their first SEC Championship Game in program history.
Witnessing any walk-off victory is an unforgettable experience, but the one that Garcia and the Sooners just put together might just go down as one of the most unique victories that a Gasso-led team has put together—and yet, it feels right on brand.
Midway through the third inning, Oklahoma's pitching staff had worked itself into a serious hole. Despite a solo home run from Sydney Barker in the second, the Sooners found themselves on the wrong side of a lopsided scoreboard.
Kierston Deal allowed three runs and two walks in 1.2 IP, forcing Jen Rocha to bring Isabella Smith into the game. That decision proved costly, however, as Smith lasted just 0.2 IP and gave up three runs on five hits and a walk.
By the time Patyn Monticelli secured the final out of the inning, OU was staring at a 6-1 ball game and the television broadcast crew began throwing words like "run-rule" around.
The Sooners don't face deficits like that often, but with how they've been swinging the bat, particularly on Friday, no lead is safe.
Ella Parker was the first to cut into the lead with a solo shot to center, but that was the only damage that would be done in the bottom of the frame, sending OU back into the field trailing by four runs.
Monticelli was able to keep the Hogs off the board in the top of the fourth, and again, the Oklahoma bats proved powerful with a second shot from Barker, followed by a solo homer from Isabella Emerling on the very next plate appearance. That made it the lead, 6-4, Arkansas heading into the fifth.
After surrendering a leadoff walk in the fifth, Monticelli was pulled and the Sooners opted to bring freshman Audrey Lowry into the circle. Despite some shaky appearances in recent weeks, Lowry was dominant in relief, holding Arkansas hitless and striking out three over three frames of work. That performance allowed Oklahoma's offense the time to chip away, or rather, go "bombs away."
The Sooners stranded two on base in the fifth, but got back on the board again in the sixth with another solo shot, this time from Ailana Agbayani, to make it 6-5.
That home run—the fifth of the day—tied the record for the most in SEC tournament history. The record-setter came in the next frame, and it would come off the bat of a true freshman.
Coming into the day, SEC teams were 0-80 in tournament games in which they trailed by five or more runs, but Gabbie Garcia's three-run no-doubter bucked that 30-year trend and gave OU the most home runs ever in an SEC Tournament game.
More importantly, it gave the Sooners the win and advanced them to the SEC Tournament Championship Game (4:00 p.m. CT, ESPN) on Saturday, where they await the winner of Texas vs. Texas A&M.
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