Oklahoma
OU Softball: Oklahoma Walks Off Arkansas to Complete Furious Rally, Reach SEC Championship
Oklahoma was down, but Patty Gasso’s Sooners are never out.
After falling behind 5-seeded Arkansas 6-1 in the third inning of Friday’s SEC Tournament semifinal, the top-seeded Sooners got to work.
Ella Parker homered in the third, freshman Sydney Barker capped off her two-home run day with a solo shot in the fourth, and catcher Isabela Emerling followed her up withe a bomb of her own to pull OU within two.
Ailana Agbayani made it a one-run game with another solo shot in the sixth, and the top of Oklahoma’s order had a chance to complete the comeback in the bottom of the seventh.
Freshman Gabbie Garcia finished the job.
She crushed a three-run shot, OU’s sixth of the game, to walk it off and send the Sooners to the SEC Championship with an 8-6 win over Arkansas in Athens, GA.
WALK OFF WIN AFTER A 5 RUN DEFICIT 🤯#NCAASoftball x 🎥 ESPN2 / @SEC / @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/yfg0Wx2BwY
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 9, 2025
The six bombs set an SEC Tournament record for home runs in a game by a team. It was also the largest deficit overcome in tournament history.
Gasso provided the spark for the Sooners.
OU came to the dugout trailing by five runs in the middle of the third, and the legendary coach ripped into her squad.
“Even when we’re down, we’re never out. That’s the message,” Gasso told the broadcast on ESPN2. “… One big hit can get us right back in it.”
Parker responded with the solo shot to cut it to 6-2 after three, and the Sooners continued to chip away.
“Honestly I just give it all up to God, give it all up to my team,” Garcia said after the win. “… That was all them honestly … I have an army behind me.”
The Sooners will take on the winner of No. 2-seed Texas A&M and 3-seeded Texas in the SEC Championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
Left-hander Kierston Deal got the start in the circle for OU, and Oklahoma quickly found itself in the hole.
She allowed a single and a walk in the first two batters. Deal did get Arkansas star Bri Ellis to pop out, but another walk loaded the bases and Kailey Wycoff’s single put the Razorbacks on top 1-0.
In the next at-bat, Ella McDowell doubled the lead with a sacrifice fly, but Deal got Kennedy Miller to fly out to limit the first inning damage to just two runs.
Deal’s outing wouldn’t last much longer.
She allowed a one-out double off the top of the wall in the second, and after a ground out moved the runner to third, Gasso switched the lefty out for Isabella Smith.
Smith battled Raigan Kramer, inducing a slow-roller in the infield, but Agbayani was unable to get to the ball fast enough at second base to get the out at first and OU fell behind 3-0 after the Razorbacks’ first two trips to the plate.
Barker, another true freshman, got the Sooners on the board with a two-out solo shot in the second, but the excitement was short lived as another Arkansas walk was turned into a run in the third.
Smith issued a free pass to Courtney Day to start the frame, then Wycoff belted a homer to right field to extend the Razorback lead out to 5-1.
Another run came in when a pitch got past Emerling behind the plate with McDowell on third, and Gasso again made a change to bring Paytn Monticelli in for Smith.
Monticelli allowed a walk, but got a pair of fly outs to head to the bottom of the third down 6-1.
Gasso was shown on the ESPN2 broadcast ripping into her team before the bottom of the third, and Parker heard the message loud and clear.
She homered in the bottom of the inning to cut the Arkansas advantage to 6-2.
“I think it’s just a really relaxed environment,” Garcia said of the meeting after the game. “Telling us no matter how big the lead is, trust our bats, trust our skills and that we’re going to get back into it just one thing at a time.”
Monticelli kept the Razorbacks off the board for the first time in the fourth, which allowed OU’s offense to claw back into the game.
Cydney Sanders led off the frame with a single, then Arkansas turned a double play that proved to be crucial.
Barker crushed her second homer of the day right after the double play, and she was followed by another solo bomb from Emerling to cut the deficit to 6-4 with three innings to play.
She’s got bark & bite 😤@SydBarker2024 | ℹ️https://t.co/Th2U6csrhI pic.twitter.com/Evpb7XHeWF
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 9, 2025
The Sooners put runners on the corners in the fifth with one out, prompting Arkansas to bring in ace pitcher Robyn Herron.
The talented lefty struck out Garcia, then got a fantastic diving play from McDowell at third to rob Sanders of an RBI single and keep the Razorbacks’ two-run lead intact heading into the sixth.
Agbayani hit the Sooners’ fifth solo shot of the day in the sixth, which set the SEC Tournament record for home runs in a single game, and Kasidi Pickering started things off for the Sooners in the bottom of the seventh with the tournament’s top seed trailing 6-5.
AA bringing the energy 🔋
Homer number five on the day for the Sooners! pic.twitter.com/cg1qMWJr5w
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 9, 2025
OU put a pair in scoring position for Garcia — Parker hit into a fielder’s choice and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas doubled to the wall in right-center — and the freshman shortstop crushed a no-doubter to compete the comeback.
Freshman left-hander Audrey Lowry took over for Monticelli in the fifth, and the victory wouldn’t have been possible without her steady hand. She retired all nine batters she faced, striking out three Razorbacks.
Crucially, Sam Landry never had to come out of the bullpen, so the OU ace will be ready to battle the Aggies or the Longhorns on Saturday.
UPDATE: Power has been mostly restored in the wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Nearly 500 customers remain without power.
PSO says a car hit a pole near 2800 S Lewis Avenue, and a substation in the area may have shorted out as a result.
Investigation ongoing.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma Statement:
PSO Oklahoma is currently working to restore power to a wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Crews are on site, and working to restore service.
Residents can track outage updates and report outages at https://outagemap.psoklahoma.com/
If you or someone you know needs adequate heat, our warming shelters are open. Locations are:
All shelter beds are based on available capacity of the shelter.
Please share this information with neighbors who may need it and check on those who are most vulnerable during this cold weather.
Stay safe and warm.
Original Story:
The Public Service Company of Oklahoma Outage Map shows thousands in Tulsa are without power after reports of multiple downed power lines and a power flash, affecting customers starting near the area of Riverside Drive out past the Mingo Valley Expressway, all the way near East 21 Street to E 81 Street.
News On 6 has received reports of the location of multiple power lines down near 2800 South Lewis Avenue, so it is best to avoid the area.
Crews are currently out addressing the outage, and a time of restoration has not been published at this time.
PSO Communications Manager Matt Rahn said teams are still trying to figure out the specific cause of the outage and will update after an investigation is conducted.
After a quick shot of arctic air, things warm up quickly this week
Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:
Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.
- PSO Outage Map
- OG&E Outage Map
- VVEC Outage Map
- Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
- Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note: Several Smaller Co-ops Included)
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
Oklahoma is looking to make some history when it takes on Alabama on Friday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners and Crimson Tide square off at 7 p.m. Friday at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
A win would not only boost the Sooners into the quarterfinals, but would give them three consecutive victories over the Crimson Tide.
OU beat Alabama 24-3 last season in Norman and 23-21 earlier this season in Tuscaloosa.
Since 1960, only 12 programs have beaten the Crimson Tide in three consecutive meetings and only one such streak included a win over Alabama following Nick Saban’s first season in 2007 when the Crimson Tide went 7-6.
That streak?
Another Sooners’ winning streak in the series, which included pre-Saban wins in 2002 and 2003 and the Trevor Knight-led Sugar Bowl win as part of the 2013 season.
In the last 65 seasons, the Sooners were only the second non-conference team to knock off Alabama in three consecutive meetings, joining Texas, which beat the Crimson Tide in 1981, 1972 and 1964.
Read More Oklahoma Football
Now, OU has a chance to repeat the streak, but this time as part of the SEC and in a do-or-die situation.
The other most recent three-game winning streaks against the Tide were Auburn (six consecutive from 2002-07), LSU (five straight from 2003-07) and Georgia (three straight in 2003-03 and 2007).
Alabama had won 10 or more games every season since that 2007 season before last year’s team finished 9-4.
OU is 5-2-1 against the Crimson Tide all-time.
Only a handful of other programs that have played Alabama more than once have a winning record against the Tide.
Texas is 8-2-1 vs. the Crimson Tide, while Notre Dame is 5-3 and Michigan is 4-3.
The only other programs with a winning record against Alabama in more than one meeting are the Birmingham Athletic Club (3-2), Boston College (3-1), Louisiana Tech (3-2), Rice (3-0), TCU (3-2) and UCLA (2-1).
Alabama is, by any measure, one of the most successful programs in college football history, claiming 18 national championships and four Heisman Trophy winners.
Of course, the Sooners are one of the few programs that can measure up to that, with several national titles and seven Heisman winners.
No team has beaten Alabama twice in the same season.
“Obviously we have tendencies. They have tendencies,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “They have certain matchups they like. We have certain matchups we like. At the end of the day, you can throw all that out. It’s time to start completely over. All that matters is what you do here moving forward.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the Semi Final of the 2025 NBA Cup tournament. This is the third year of the event and second straight trip for the OKC Thunder to the Semi Final.
This is set to be a barn burner, as the Oklahoma City Thunder enter this contest 24-1 and the San Antonio Spurs sit at 17-7. Though, the even better news for both sides is the injury report. The Spurs get back generational talent Victor Wembanyama from his multi-week stint on the injured list and the Isaiah Hartenstein returns for Oklahoma City after missing the Thunder’s last five games.
With Oklahoma City only missing Isaiah Joe (knee contusion) in this contest, it gives them a rare treat. The Thunder for the first time all season will have their fully healthy starting five at their disposal. Many believe Mark Daigneault will deploy superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Defensive ace Lu Dort, All NBA swingman Jalen Williams, Rising star Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein.
This was the first time all season the Thunder have had the chance to prove that thought process right. It can be hard to navigate such a talent filled roster especially as well as Cason Wallace played as a spot starter and leading the league in steals.
In the end, the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t the ones to throw a curveball with the starting lineup. It was the San Antonio Spurs who will bring Victor Wembanyama off the bench according to the official injury report submitted to the league before tip off.
This makes sense as Wembanyama has missed three weeks of action with a calf strain. San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson revealed that his star center was going to be restricted in his first game back, especially against this historically great defense.
OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineups
OKC Thunder Starters
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G
- Lu Dort, G
- Jalen Williams, F
- Chet Holmgren, F
- Isaiah Hartenstein, C
San Antonio Spurs Starters
- De’Aaron Fox, G
- Steph Castle, G
- Devin Vassell, F
- Harrison Barnes, F
- Luke Kornet, C
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have to be mindful of their rotations to counter Wembanyama off the bench and stagger the likes of Holmgren and Hartenstein to counter it.
Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will either take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday in the NBA Cup Championship game with a win or resume their regular season with a loss. Falling to the Spurs would snap the Thunder’s 16 game winning streak, but issue Oklahoma City four days off leading into Thursday’s clash with the L.A. Clippers.
Lions no longer control own destiny to postseason after loss to Rams
San Francisco honors legendary photographer Jim Marshall with street named in his memory
Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers is just getting started
Free December events in Boston: Hanukkah celebrations, new play readings, and more – The Boston Globe
Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Stance on Epstein Testimony Nov. 3
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
Analysis: Trump’s policies set to widen EU-US innovation gap
With federal relief on the horizon, Black farmers worry it won’t come soon enough
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington6 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Iowa2 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World1 week ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
