The Sooners need one more victory to advance to their ninth straight Women’s College World Series and their 18th overall. OU has now won 17 straight Super Regional games.
“It’s definitely not something Oklahoma just does,” Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said of another repeat trip to Oklahoma City. “There’s a fight going on between Alabama and ourselves trying to get to the World Series. Getting the first (victory in a series), we say, ‘Put it in your pocket and just get after it. Get that second one done. You have that safety net, but you don’t want to use it.’ We want to come out and attack and really create great momentum. That’s what we’re looking for.”
Game two in this best-of-three series is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN. Game three, if necessary, will be played Sunday at a time to be determined.
Landry (23-4), a senior transfer from Louisiana, got ahead in the county and mixed pitches en route to her 16th complete game of the season and fourth win in as many appearances.
Landry spun her sixth shutout of the year, while Alabama was shut out for just the second time this season.
“I think that’s Sam,” Gasso said. “There’s nothing that really rattles her or unsettles her. And if it does, she gets herself right back on pace. I felt like she had complete control today.”
Landry explained, “That’s part of the challenge and that’s part of the fun. I’m going to stay out there and battle them as long as I can. It was really just staying in it and knowing this team is going to have my back. They already had the run(s). We wanted to keep them at zero just for all our runs to stay up there.”
After OU junior center fielder Abigale Dayton opened the bottom of the third inning with a walk, sophomore left fielder Kasidi Pickering promptly deposited Alabama righthander Jocelyn Briski’s next pitch high over the center-field wall for a 2-0 lead. The hit measured 246 feet with an exit velocity of 76 mph.
“We had a little conversation before we went up to bat,” said Dayton, a transfer from Utah. “(I said), ‘We’re going to get this. We’re going to get on base.’ She said, ‘You’re going to get on and I’m going to move you over.’ I said, ‘No, you’re going to hit me in, doesn’t matter where I am.’ First pitch, home run. I couldn’t do anything except turn around and watch her run the bases. I was so excited for her.”
Pickering is now tied with freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia for the team home-run lead with 18.
Dayton opened the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to left-center. Two outs later, freshman right fielder Sydney Barker singled to right-center to score Dayton and make the score 3-0. “That insurance run was huge,” Gasso said.
Meanwhile, only one Alabama hitter reached third base against Landry. That instance came in the fifth inning when Landry struck out second baseman Kali Heivilin, the Tide’s home run leader, to end the threat.
Alabama’s Alexis Pupillo doubled to lead off the sixth, but Landry struck out the next two batters and got the third hitter to ground out to second.
“She stood her ground today,” Dayton said of Landry. “I expect nothing less. She’s an amazing pitcher.”
