Lowry Locks Down the Circle, Sooners Even Super Regional

Saturday, May 23

Norman, Okla.

12 P.M.

University of Oklahoma

52-9

Mississippi State

42-19

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oklahoma Sooners	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	7	6	0
Mississippi State	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	5	2

Lexi McDaniel and Kai Minor hug after a McDaniel three-run pinch hit home run

Lowry Locks Down the Circle, Sooners Even Super Regional

May 23, 2026 | Softball

Box Score Postgame Presser Highlights Box Score (PDF)

McDaniel Adds Pinch-Hit Three-Run Homer in 7-1 Win Against Mississippi State

NORMAN — In a must-have game, Oklahoma (52-9) lefty Audrey Lowry spun a complete game and freshman Lexi McDaniel hit a pinch-hit three-run home run to the upper deck in left field as the Sooners evened the series with a 7-1 win against Mississippi State (42-19) Saturday, May 23.

Oklahoma scored all seven of its runs in the third inning, while the Bulldogs got their only run in the sixth inning on a bases loaded walk.

The start time for the deciding game of the 2026 Norman Super Regional will be announced later this evening.

Oklahoma 7, Mississippi State 1
Unlike Friday's game, which took 3 hours and 23 minutes to decide, game two on Saturday essentially was decided in a half inning that required 24 minutes to complete. The Sooners did all their damage in the top half of the third inning when they scored all of their runs, capped by a 266-foot blast high into the left-field bleachers from pinch-hitter Lexi McDaniel for her 11th home run of the year.

"She can swing like nobody's business and never gets cheated," OU head coach Patty Gasso said of McDaniel, who pinch-hit for third baseman Sydney Barker in the third. "She's always waiting for the moment. She knows she's going to get one of those moments and she's very confident and ready for it."

Asked if her decision to use McDaniel as a pinch-hitter was a feel or a matchup thing, Gasso said, "Matchup, definitely. Lexi is big in big moments. She doesn't shy away from that. It was important to get her the opportunity to do what she does and that changed the game dramatically. We swung really well today. We were taking good swings."

That 7-0 lead remained intact until the bottom of the sixth when the Bulldogs scored their only run on a bases-loaded walk after stringing together three consecutive singles.

Efficiency was at the forefront Saturday, starting with ace lefthander Audrey Lowry.

"(She is) extremely efficient, extremely effective, very calm, very confident," Gasso said of the sophomore. "We were rallying behind her and she had everything under control."

In 47 pitches on Friday, Lowry allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and walked two. On Saturday, she needed just 47 pitches to get through the first five innings of shutout work.

"It was really just (taking) the next step," Lowry said. "I forgot about yesterday. I'm just working for today, being in the present."

Pitchers of Record
Win: Audrey Lowry (23-4)
Loss: Peja Goold (15-11)

Statistical Snapshot
Audrey Lowry | CG, 7.0 IP, 5H, ER, 2BB, 2Ks, 87 pitches
Kai Minor | 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, R
Lexi McDaniel | 1-for-1, HR, 3RBIs

Notes

McDaniel hit her fourth pinch-hit home run of the season. McDaniel also has 11 pinch-hit RBIs to lead the team
All four freshmen position players have at least 11 home runs
Minor posted her team-leading 29th multi-hit game of the season. She is also on a team-best 11-game hitting streak
Minor posted her 7th triple which ties her fourth all-time in OU single-season history
Lowry needed only 87 pitches to post her fourth complete game of the season. Lowry has only thrown over 100 pitches three times this season
The Sooners have not lost consecutive games against an SEC foe this season. OU has not lost consecutive games at home all season
The Sooners improved to 28-2 in home games this year
McDaniel is hitting .531 in home games this year. 10 of her 11 home runs have come at home this season
OU has homered in 57 of 61 games
Oklahoma is 8-1 in games following a loss
Minor has posted six extra-base hits in NCAA Tournament play
OU scored all seven runs in one inning
OU will play its first game three of a super regional since winning in three games against Tennessee in 2014 at Marita Hynes Field
Oklahoma is 47-1 when outhitting its opponent