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OU Softball: Sydney Barker Hammers Two Monster Home Runs to Blast No. 3 Oklahoma Past No. 24 Baylor

The OU freshman buried the Bears with a two-out grand slam in the fifth inning on Saturday.

Ryan Chapman

Sydney Barker
Sydney Barker / Photo via Sydney Barker's X account

Freshman Sydney Barker bullied Baylor in her first action against major conference opposition. 

The Oklahoma newcomer hammered a pair of home runs, the second of which was a two-out grand slam, to bury the Bears in OU’s second game on Saturday. 

Barker’s grand slam was the exclamation point on an excellent showing that saw the No. 3-ranked Sooners dispatch of the No. 24-ranked Bears 9-1 in five innings at Getterman Stadium in Waco, TX. 

It was Barker’s first multi-home run game as a Sooner, and it extended OU’s perfect start in 2025 to 8-0 while Baylor dropped to 4-3 with the loss. 

Final Box Score
Final Box Score / OU Stats

Earlier on Saturday, Barker hit her first career triple to drive in a run against Hofstra, and she carried that momentum into the second inning against the Bears. 

She bounced the ball off the left field foul pole to put the Sooners on top 2-0 in the second inning. 

Ella Parker, who has lived on the bases through OU’s first eight games, got aboard again in the third inning with a leadoff single. 

Then Cydney Sanders struck. 

OU’s veteran first baseman attacked the first pitch she saw, rocketing Baylor pitcher Lillie Walker’s delivery over the wall to double the Sooners’ lead. 

The heart of the Bears’ order started to dial in a bit on Oklahoma starter Kierston Deal in the fourth. 

Shaylon Govan doubled in her second at-bat against the OU lefty, then former Sooner Turiya Coleman followed that up with a double to cut the deficit to 4-1 with no outs. 

Deal kept the ball in the park and let her defense work for the rest of the inning. 

Coleman advanced to third on a ground out, then OU center fielder Abby Dayton ensured Coleman wouldn’t get to advance the final 60 feet to home plate. 

Karynton Dawson flew out to Dayton in shallow center for the second out of the inning, but Dayton lasered the ball home to ensure Coleman couldn’t turn it into a sacrifice fly. 

Deal then got shortstop Amber Toven to bounce out to Ailana Agbayani at second, ending the threat and sending OU’s bats back to the plate.

And Oklahoma delivered. 

Parker singled for her third hit of the day with one out, then Kasidi Pickering and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas each drew full count walks to load the bases with two outs. 

Agbayani wore a pitch to score the first run of the inning, then Barker returned to torment Walker some more. 

She obliterated the third pitch she saw, busting open the game with a grand slam no-doubter to put Oklahoma up 9-1.

Baylor dug in to try and extend the game in the bottom of the fifth. 

The Bears got a couple of singles off Deal to put runners on first and second with two outs with Baylor’s best slugger, Govan, stepping in. 

OU coach Patty Gasso elected to replace Deal with Louisiana transfer Sam Landry to try and get the final out of the fifth and end the afternoon early. 

Landry got Govan to fly out to center to end the contest.

Deal allowed four hits, two walks and a run while striking out a pair of Baylor hitters in 4 2/3 innings of action, and Landry retired the only batter she faced. 

The Sooners will be back in action on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Hofstra, and they’ll close the weekend with a Baylor rematch at 3 p.m.

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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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