No. 4 Oklahoma (41-5, 15-5 SEC) defeated No. 3 Texas (42-8, 13-7 SEC) 7-2 in game two on Saturday.
Oklahoma’s win in game one and Arkansas’ win over Texas A&M yesterday moved the Sooners into first place in the SEC standings. With Texas sitting in third, Oklahoma looked to further separate itself in the rankings to secure the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
Junior left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal’s dominant, complete performance helped lead the Sooners to victory, as Deal, backed by a strong Oklahoma defense, kept a high-powered Texas offense in check for the majority of the game.
Deal made her 13th start of the season, repping an 8-1 record with a 2.98 ERA. After senior right-handed pitcher Sam Landry’s performance in game one, a big question heading into the game was how the rest of the Sooners’ pitching staff would hold up against a powerful Texas offense.
Deal answered with a strong start in the first three innings. Similar to game one, Deal and the Sooners’ defense held the Longhorns to three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit in the second and striking out two batters.
B2B punchies for @DealKierston 💥ℹ️» https://t.co/Th2U6csrhI pic.twitter.com/qII2twCIIi
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 26, 2025
Oklahoma struck first for the second straight game with a two-out solo home run from sophomore utility Ella Parker deep over the right-field wall, giving Oklahoma a 1-0 lead in the third. The homer was the Sooners’ first hit of the day and the start of an explosive offensive rally.
Junior left-fielder Abigale Dayton crushed a ball deep to right-center field, sending game one’s player of the game, junior second baseman Ailana Agbayani, home from first and extending Oklahoma’s lead to 2-0 in the fourth.
“I think it was just allowing myself to work for my team. They’ve been picking me up the last few games so being able to produce for them was really big,” Dayton said. “(Kierston Deal) is on the mound pitching a great game, so how do you not come up clutch for her?”
Dayton’s RBI double was her first hit of the series but not her last. With bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, Dayton lined a ball up the middle which was muffed by Texas’ center fielder Kayden Henry, allowing two runners to score and pushing the Sooners’ lead to 5-0.
Abby woke up on the clutch side of the bed today ❕5-0 Sooners! pic.twitter.com/W8NNM3CHtt
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 27, 2025
Deal remained dialed in the circle, not allowing a single Texas hit through four more innings. The Longhorn’s offense couldn’t find an answer for Deal’s pitches, and when it did find contact, the Sooners’ defense moved quickly to make plays all over the diamond.
“Plays like that get you so fired up as a pitcher because all you want to do is just feed them ground balls, so they can make double plays,” Deal said. “You pitch so free knowing that you have a defense like that playing behind you.”
Redshirt freshman third baseman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas provided extra insurance in the sixth with a two-run home run, as Oklahoma took a 7-0 lead for its largest of the series.
Cap’n wants in 💣7-0 Sooners! pic.twitter.com/kZE78UqzZj
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 27, 2025
The Sooners looked to seal the deal in the top of the seventh as a strikeout and pop fly sat down the first two Longhorn batters. However, Texas’ Victoria Hunter responded with a single followed by a two-run homer, eliminating a possible shutout before a final-out pop fly to sophomore right fielder Kasidi Pickering capitalized a dominant 7-2 Oklahoma win.
“The Sooners are normally finding their best late in the season,” head coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “To be able to do what we’re doing against Texas is a big deal to us and taking us forward to the SEC.”
The outing was Deal’s second complete game of the season, finishing with three strikeouts, four hits and two runs. The defensive performance was the Sooners’ best in the last three games, and the offense finished strong, scoring runs in each of the last four innings.
Next, Oklahoma will look to hand Texas its first series sweep in SEC play in game three at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Love’s Field on ESPN2.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Texas on today?
TV channel: ESPN2
Start time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Love’s Field
Notes: Oklahoma is coming off a 7-6 series-opening win over Texas.
Oklahoma softball schedule
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 7, Cal State Northridge 2
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 11, San Diego State 6 (9 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 8, Cal Baptist 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 13, Cal State Fullerton 3
Feb. 8: Oklahoma 9, Loyola Marymount 0
Feb 9: Oklahoma 2, Long Beach State 0 (11 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 8, Hofstra 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 9, Baylor 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 11, Hoftsra 3 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 8, Baylor 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 8, Tulsa 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 23: Oklahoma 8, Wichita State 1
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 8, Bowling Green 5 (8 inn.)
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 9, Abilene Christian 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Marshall 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Kansas 1 (6 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 8, Kansas 0 (5 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 11, Marshall 0 (5 inn.)
March 2: Oklahoma 17, Kansas City 1 (5 inn.)
March 7: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 2, South Carolina 1
March 12: Oklahoma 10, Tulsa 2 (6 inn.)
March 14: Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 0
March 15: Oklahoma 6, Arkansas 4
March 16: Oklahoma 10, Arkansas 7
March 19: Oklahoma 8, East Texas A&M 0 (5 inn.)
March 21: Oklahoma 8, Missouri 0
March 22: Oklahoma 1, Missouri 3
March 23: Oklahoma 5, Missouri 1
March 26: Oklahoma 19, Wichita State 16
March 28: Oklahoma 2, Tennessee 5 (8 inn.)
March 29: Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 1
March 30: Oklahoma 3, Tennessee 5
April 1: Oklahoma 13, UT Arlington 2 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 12, St. Thomas 4 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 6, UCF 0
April 9: Oklahoma 11, Oklahoma State 3 (5 inn.)
April 12: Oklahoma 5, Alabama 1
April 13: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 6
April 14: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 2
April 18: Oklahoma 4, Mississippi State 0
April 20: Oklahoma 6, Mississippi State 5
April 20: Oklahoma 9, Mississippi State 6
April 25: Oklahoma 7, Texas 6
April 26: vs. Texas at 6:30 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
April 27: vs. Texas at 1 p.m. (TV: ESPN2)
May 1: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 2: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 3: at Florida at 2 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
This story was edited by Josh McDaniel.
