NORMAN — Heading into the third inning on Friday, Abigale Dayton and Kasidi Pickering had a quick conversation.

The Sooners struggled early offensively against Alabama. They logged just one hit through the first two innings and left two base runners stranded. With Dayton leading off, and Pickering batting right behind her, the duo knew they needed to create a spark.

"We were like, 'We're gonna get this. We're gonna get on base,'" Dayton recalled. "(Pickering) said, 'You're gonna get on (base) and I'm gonna move you over.' I said, 'No, you're gonna hit me in. Doesn't matter where I am. You're gonna hit me in.'"

Dayton spoke it into existence.She forced a walk to open the third inning, then Pickering brought them both in with a two-run home run to put the Sooners on the board.

Dayton's prophecy was huge, as the Sooners rode that momentum to a 3-0 win over the Crimson Tide to open this weekend's Super Regional at Love's Field. The Sooners are just one win away from the Women's College World Series.

While Dayton's third-inning walk was crucial, that wasn't her only big play.

With both teams struggling offensively, Pickering's home run was the only scoring play heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Dayton, who again was in the leadoff spot, sent a double to left field to open the frame.

Two batters later, Sydney Barker brought Dayton in with an RBI single to give the Sooners a much-needed insurance run.

Dayton finished the game accounting for one of the Sooners' six hits, the team's only walk and two of the three runs scored.

OU coach Patty Gasso referred to Dayton last weekend as a player who is heating up at the right time, and that showed up in a big spot. Dayton credited the strength of the Sooners' lineup.

"Having those people behind you, (it's) so much easier just to get on base and not having to worry about hitting a double or anything like that," Dayton said. "Being able to do that, it's great."

The junior outfielder has found her stride in the postseason. Dayton went 3-for-5 at the plate during last weekend's Norman Regional, adding four runs and several crucial plays. Her hitting as been particularly crucial for the bottom of the team's lineup — the Sooners moved her to the nine-spot during conference play, and she's been able to generate big plays.

It's an unfamiliar spot for Dayton, who transferred to the Sooners during the offseason after an impressive two-year stretch at Utah, which included finishing as the Pac 12 batting champion in 2024. But with Pickering, Ella Parker and Gabbie Garcia batting at the top of the lineup, the Sooners have found a unique role for Dayton.

"She wants to win more than anybody I’ve seen in a long time," Gasso said. "She loves to play the game. She loves to be a part of it. She loves to be that table-setter and we have found her setting the table in the nine hole for (Pickering) all season long whenever she’s down there.

"Could she be up higher? She has been and it’s great but we know what we’re trying to do, I think she understands the game well enough to know. She doesn’t take that as anything except, ‘Let me get on for Pick’ and that’s what’s been happening here."

The Sooners will need more plays from Dayton this weekend. They're one win away from returning to the Women's College World Series, but they'll again have to face an Alabama team that beat them twice earlier this season.

The Sooners know they'll have to be at their best on Saturday.

"There's a fight between Alabama and ourselves trying to get to the World Series," Gasso said. "So getting the first one, putting it in the safe, putting it in our pocket and just get after it. Get that second one done. You have that safety net, you don't want to use it. We wanna come out and attack and really create great momentum. That's what we're looking for."

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