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OU Softball: Oklahoma Sweeps Arkansas Behind McEnroe-Marinas, Garcia's Huge Outings

The pair of freshmen totaled eight RBIs for the Sooners as Patty Gasso's squad recorded another SEC sweep.

Ryan Chapman

Oklahoma shortstop Gabbie Garcia
Oklahoma shortstop Gabbie Garcia / John Hoover / Sooners on SI

Just when Arkansas thought they had a beat on Oklahoma, the Sooners were able to respond. 

OU was pressed but got a pair of four-RBI games from Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Gabbie Garcia on Sunday to overcome the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.

The OU offense rolled through Arkansas pitchers and Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso used virtually her entire pitching staff for the Sooners to secure a 10-7 win at Bogle Park.

The sweep was the second for No. 1-ranked OU in conference play, moving the Sooners to 26-0 on the year and 6-0 to start their SEC adventure. 

Courtney Deifel’s No. 12-ranked Razorbacks fell to 20-6 overall and 1-5 in conference contests. 

Final Box Score
Final Box Score / OU Stats

Garcia’s RBIs came off a pair of homers, which meant the freshman has rocketed eight home runs in her last 10 games. 

Yet, it was the Razorbacks who opened things up on Sunday. 

Though OU got a pair on base in the top of the first inning, it was the hosts who struck first. 

Oklahoma starter Isabella Smith walked Raigan Kramer and then Kailey Wyckoff doubled to put two on base with Arkansas slugger Bri Ellis ready to step into the box. 

The OU right-hander actually worked around Ellis via a fly out into foul territory, but Courtney Day got the best of Smith with a three-run no doubter to nose the Razorbacks in front 3-0.

But as they’ve done all season, the Sooners immediately responded. 

Garcia hit her first home run to right field, a shot that just snuck over the wall and bounced back into play off the fencing that protects the fans on the outfield berm. It was called a home run, which Deifel challenged, but the ruling on the field was upheld.

Ailana Agbayani drew a walk and then narrowly avoided a tag at second on Isabela Emerling’s groundout to escape a double play. Hannah Coor then drove Agbayani home with an RBI double.

Abby Datyon’s walk turned into another run when McEnroe-Marinas rocketed a three-run bomb of her own to put OU on top 5-3, then Garcia drove in another run after Kramer mishandled the single in left field, allowing Ella Parker to score to cap off OU’s six-run second. 

Paytn Monticelli took over for Smith in the second. She breezed through the Arkansas lineup, then Gasso and OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha continued their staff approach in the third. 

Kierston Deal was called upon, and another walk came back to haunt the veteran left-hander.

Wyckoff received the free pass with one out, and then Coor was unable to rob Ellis at the wall. The ball actually bounced off Coor’s glove and over, giving Ellis a two-run jack that cut Oklahoma’s lead to 6-5 as the game moved to the fourth. 

But again, OU’s bats had an immediate reply.

Garcia hammered her second homer of the day, this one a no-doubter hit on a rope to right field, in the fourth. 

The two-run homer was her ninth of the year, which leads the team, and it extended the Oklahoma lead to 8-5.

McEnroe-Marinas continued her big weekend in the fifth. 

Her double plated Dayton, who scored from first, which was the third baseman’s fourth RBI of the day. Then Parker’s first hit of the weekend, a single, plated McEnroe-Marinas and gave the Sooners full command of the game up 10-5 before the Razorbacks recorded an out. 

Ellis got the best of Deal again, who was left in the game in the fourth and the fifth. 

She hit another two-run homer off Deal to cut OU’s lead down to 10-7.

Deal got Day out, but Gasso moved once more to bring in Sam Landry to close out the game. 

The OU ace got out of the fifth, and then struck out the side in the sixth.

Landry returned to protect the three-run lead in the seventh after her offense was unable to stretch the lead out any further. 

Ellis extended the game with a two-out single, but Landry got Day to bounce out to Garcia at short and the Sooners left Fayetteville with all three wins. 

Landry allowed just one hit and one walk and she struck out five Razorbacks in 2 1/3 innings of action on Sunday. She recorded one win and two saves on the weekend.

Oklahoma will return home on Wednesday to host East Teas A&M before hitting the road again next weekend for a road series against Missouri. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is managing editor at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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