Completed Event: Softball at #12/14 Texas A&M on May 1, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 8
Final
Softball
5
at #12/14 Texas A&M
8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Friday, May 22
Norman, Okla.
12 p.m.
University of Oklahoma
51-9
9
vs
11
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Mississippi State
42-18
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 2 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 4 |
Early Lead Escapes Sooners in Super Regional Opener
May 22, 2026 | Softball
Oklahoma Drops Game One to Mississippi State, 11-9
NORMAN — Despite four home runs as a team, two of which came from freshman Kendall Wells, No. 3 Oklahoma (51-9) dropped its super regional opener to No. 20 Mississippi State (42-18) Friday, May 22 from Love's Field. The 11-9 loss snaps OU's 18-game winning streak in super regional play, as well as a 13-game winning streak at Love's Field in NCAA postseason games.
Mississippi State 11, Oklahoma 9
Mississippi State scored the game's first run, but OU exploded for a five-run third thanks to home runs from Kendall Wells, Isabela Emerling and Kasidi Pickering. Wells would drive in the next and final four OU runs with an RBI single and what was a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth to put OU back up, 9-6.
The Bulldogs overcame deficits of 6-2 and 9-6 by scoring nine runs in the final two innings before a crowd of 3,966 at Love's Field. The Sooners were one strike away from taking the opener, but Mississippi State drew a game-tying RBI walk before tallying two more on a single and throwing error in the seventh.
"Our defense, we don't fumble balls like that," Gasso said. "We don't. You know, we just don't. But they were hitting the ball hard … but we do make those plays. Our defense would tell you that this wasn't their best day. I think our pitchers would tell you the same. This is who we are. We're gonna see who we are. And we're ready to show who we are. We understand what's at stake and we're going to be ready to make this right."
The persistent Bulldogs repeatedly came up with clutch hits in key moments.
"They were just putting balls in play, doing what they needed to do, capitalizing on strikes and pitches," said OU first baseman Isabela Emerling, who went 2-for-3 at the plate that included a two-run homer. "Yeah, our defense (had an) unusual day, but we're going to get it back tomorrow."
Wells went 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, hitting two home runs to push her season total to 39. Wells and the Sooners pressed Mississippi State in the seventh as well, but the Bulldogs' Delainey Everett clutched up to strand two OU runners.
"I felt so prepared today," Wells said. "(OU hitting) Coach J.T. (Gasso) gave us a good game plan. She just happened to beat me in my at-bat in the seventh, so I'll get back into it tomorrow."
Gasso surmised, "I truly just think it was a bad day, but an executed day. You gotta give credit absolutely to Mississippi State. They just kept pushing and pushing us and pushing us. I thought we did a very good job up there against their pitching staff, so we got to see all the arms, so there is that that we're ready for. It's not anything unusual. It's just one of those things that happens in life. When things don't go well, what are you going to do about it? You either surrender or you step up and say, 'I'm going to make this right.' "
Pitchers of Record
Win: Delainey Everett (2-1)
Loss: Audrey Lowry (22-4)
Statistical Snapshot
Kendall Wells | 4-for-5, 6RBIs, 2HRs
Isabela Emerling | 2-for-3, 2RBIs
Kai Minor | 2-for-4, 2R
Kasidi Pickering | 1-for-3, HR
Notes
Up Next
Oklahoma and Mississippi State face off tomorrow at noon from Love's Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Mississippi State 11, Oklahoma 9
Mississippi State scored the game's first run, but OU exploded for a five-run third thanks to home runs from Kendall Wells, Isabela Emerling and Kasidi Pickering. Wells would drive in the next and final four OU runs with an RBI single and what was a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth to put OU back up, 9-6.
The Bulldogs overcame deficits of 6-2 and 9-6 by scoring nine runs in the final two innings before a crowd of 3,966 at Love's Field. The Sooners were one strike away from taking the opener, but Mississippi State drew a game-tying RBI walk before tallying two more on a single and throwing error in the seventh.
"Our defense, we don't fumble balls like that," Gasso said. "We don't. You know, we just don't. But they were hitting the ball hard … but we do make those plays. Our defense would tell you that this wasn't their best day. I think our pitchers would tell you the same. This is who we are. We're gonna see who we are. And we're ready to show who we are. We understand what's at stake and we're going to be ready to make this right."
The persistent Bulldogs repeatedly came up with clutch hits in key moments.
"They were just putting balls in play, doing what they needed to do, capitalizing on strikes and pitches," said OU first baseman Isabela Emerling, who went 2-for-3 at the plate that included a two-run homer. "Yeah, our defense (had an) unusual day, but we're going to get it back tomorrow."
Wells went 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, hitting two home runs to push her season total to 39. Wells and the Sooners pressed Mississippi State in the seventh as well, but the Bulldogs' Delainey Everett clutched up to strand two OU runners.
"I felt so prepared today," Wells said. "(OU hitting) Coach J.T. (Gasso) gave us a good game plan. She just happened to beat me in my at-bat in the seventh, so I'll get back into it tomorrow."
Gasso surmised, "I truly just think it was a bad day, but an executed day. You gotta give credit absolutely to Mississippi State. They just kept pushing and pushing us and pushing us. I thought we did a very good job up there against their pitching staff, so we got to see all the arms, so there is that that we're ready for. It's not anything unusual. It's just one of those things that happens in life. When things don't go well, what are you going to do about it? You either surrender or you step up and say, 'I'm going to make this right.' "
Pitchers of Record
Win: Delainey Everett (2-1)
Loss: Audrey Lowry (22-4)
Statistical Snapshot
Kendall Wells | 4-for-5, 6RBIs, 2HRs
Isabela Emerling | 2-for-3, 2RBIs
Kai Minor | 2-for-4, 2R
Kasidi Pickering | 1-for-3, HR
Notes
- OU lost the series opener of a three-game series for just the third time this season. The other two instances came at No. 17/18 Arizona and at No. 12/14 Texas A&M. OU would respond to win both of those series.
- It was the most hits OU has allowed since a game one loss to UCLA in the championship series of the 2019 WCWS and the most errors the Sooners had committed in any game since at least 2020. It tied the most errors OU had committed in a Super Regional since losing to Washington in 2010.
- OU had also won 17 consecutive home Super Regional contests. Its last loss in a Super Regional home game was in game two against Tennessee in 2014 and the Sooners' last loss in a Super Regional opener was in 2007 to DePaul.
- Prior to today's game OU hadn't trailed in a super regional contest since 2023
- Minor posted her 28th multi-hit game of the season, a team high
- The Sooners trailed, 1-0, before homers from Wells, Emerling and Pickering
- The Sooners have won all nine three-game series this year
- Wells posted her sixth multi-home run game of the season
- Wells is up to 39 home runs, surpassing Laura Espinoza (Arizona, 1995) for second all-time in the NCAA single-season home run record books
- Isabela Emerling and Kasidi Pickering hit back-to-back home runs, the 14th instance of back-to-back home runs for the Sooners this season
- OU's Wells, Emerling, Pickering, Gabbie Garcia and Ella Parker all reached or surpassed 20 home runs this season. OU is the first program in NCAA history to have a team with 20 or more homers in a season
- Wells posted the first four-hit game of her season
- Wells set a season high with 6 RBIs
- OU is now 13-1 in NCAA postseason games played at Love's Field
- OU is now 11-1 against Mississippi State all-time
- The Sooners had an 18-game super regional winning streak snapped
- It was the most hits allowed in an OU super regional game in program history
- It was OU's first home loss in a super regional since 2014
Up Next
Oklahoma and Mississippi State face off tomorrow at noon from Love's Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Delainey Everett (2-1)
L: Lowry, Audrey (22-4)
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Batting:
2B: Abby G. Richardson 1 ; Kinley Keller 1 ; Des Rivera 1
HR: Des Rivera 1
RBI: Abby G. Richardson 1 ; Nadia Barbary 1 ; Xiane Romero 1 ; Morgan Bernardini 2 ; Tatum Silva 2 ; Des Rivera 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Abby G. Richardson 2 ; Nadia Barbary 2 ; Gabby Schaeffer 1 ; Xiane Romero 1 ; Kiarra Sells 1 ; Ally Supan 1 ; Des Rivera 3
HBP: Kinley Keller 1
Batting:
HR: Wells, Kendall 2 ; Emerling, Isabela 1 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1
RBI: Wells, Kendall 6 ; Emerling, Isabela 2 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Minor, Kai 2 ; Parker, Ella 1 ; Wells, Kendall 2 ; Garcia, Gabbie 1 ; Emerling, Isabela 1 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1 ; Barker, Sydney 1
HBP: Dayton, Abby 1
PO: Dayton, Abby 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
6
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUTL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballNorman Super Regionals - Postgame Pressers (Wells, Emerling, Gasso)
Friday, May 22
2026 Norman Regional Presser Game 3 (Coach Gasso, Garcia, Lowry, Minor)
Sunday, May 17
SB Highlights: OU 8, Michigan 1
Sunday, May 17
2026 Norman Regional Presser Game 2 (Coach Gasso, Emerling, Guachino)
Saturday, May 16
