No. 2 Oklahoma Allows Most Runs Since 2019 in Win Over Wichita State
This isn’t the same type of Oklahoma team softball fans have been accustomed to over the past decade, but the Sooners are still finding ways to win.
On Wednesday night, in front of a record crowd of 1,245 at Wichita State’s Wilkins Stadium, No. 2 Oklahoma managed to grab a win, but it was anything but ordinary.
The Sooners allowed the most runs since the 2019 Women’s College World Series Championship Series in a 19-16 win over the Shockers. Wichita State also slugged five home runs, which is the most Oklahoma pitching has allowed in a single game this season.
W in Wichita #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/530MqaimjW
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 27, 2025
Kierston Deal, the Sooners’ starter, gave up six runs on six hits, one walk, and a wild pitch. Paytn Monticelli relieved Deal with one out in the bottom of the third but wasn’t much better. She allowed five earned runs on two hits and three walks while only recording two outs.
GET HER SOME WATER SHE IS ON FIRE 🔥@camryn_44 #FearTheWheat🌾 https://t.co/XQuTO6Zml5 pic.twitter.com/oUmhxm0lPb
— Wichita State Softball (@GoShockersSB) March 27, 2025
Sam Landry earned the win to improve to 10-0 but showed some vulnerability as well, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks. She struck out five across the final four innings of the night.
Oklahoma’s pitching was an area of concern for head coach Patty Gasso, and she didn’t shy away from criticising her staff during her postgame radio interview.
“Bottom line, our pitching staff was not good enough at all tonight,” said Gasso, who has never lost a game to Wichita State (OU improved to 57-7 all-time against the Shockers.) “And, kind of discouraging. Because they're better than that. But I also blame us (coaches) a little bit. To be honest, we've been really focusing on Tennessee.
"And I know what it's like to play Wichita, especially here, and I wish I could go back and take that back, because it's such a big weekend for us. It's so important that we try to start getting a head start on it. And that's what we get. We get a team that can kind of feel that and say, ‘Oh, they're halfway in this game, (one) foot in, one foot out. Let's go after them.’ And they did. So we're lucky to walk away with the win.”
The Sooners have a quick turnaround as they welcome the No. 14 Tennessee Lady Vols to Love’s Field for a three-game series beginning Friday.
-1d7db99dccc9abef7b9378f016b22b68.webp "Maren Angus-Coombs")
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 and spent the 2023 season covering Husker Softball for Hail Varsity. In addition to All Huskers, she is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Sports Report.