OKLAHOMA CITY — In its first attempt for a five-peat, the Oklahoma offense struggled to do much against Tennessee ace and two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens.

The thousands of OU fans and historic alumni were living and dying by every pitch, screaming at the home plate umpire on close calls and providing energy on rallies that ultimately didn’t end up with runs scored. Until the seventh inning.

Ella Parker hit two home runs, capped with a dramatic, three-run, walkoff shot to center field with two outs, to lift No. 2 Oklahoma Softball (51-7) to a heart-thumping 4-3 victory over No. 7 Tennessee (4516) on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series.

“I just remember rounding the bases with my team’s arms wide open and starting to get really teary-eyed and really emotional,” Parker said. “It was just really cool to have them with us the whole time,” stated Parker.

A crowd of 11,805 at Devon Park witnessed a showdown between two of the nation’s elite pitchers in All-Americans Karlyn Pickens (24-10) of Tennessee and Sam Landry (24-4) of OU.

With Tennessee leading 3-1 and three outs away from a victory, junior infielder Ailana Agbayani drew a leadoff walk and sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering lined a single with two outs to set the stage for Ella Parker.

But it was Parker, a First-Team All-American pick as a designated player, whose continued prowess at the plate decided the outcome, knocking in all four of her team’s runs via the long ball. Parker finished 2-for-4 at the plate, boosting her team-leading batting average to .420 and her season home-run total to 15.

Parker had homered off Pickens in the first inning off a 76-mph pitch but was unable to get something going her next two at-bats.

Parker thought about going after the first pitch but took it for strike one. Pickens threw her a changeup in the middle of the plate on 0-1 and Parker sent it 236 feet to dead center for a walk-off threerun home run.

“The girls work so hard, much harder than anyone could ever imagine,” Ella’s dad, Keith, told OU Daily. “Knowing what she’s dealt with to get to this point and the pressure of the situation, it was amazing to see the result of all her hard work.”

Asked to describe Parker’s ability to rise to the occasion. Gasso said, “It’s extreme belief in herself and extreme focus in what she’s trying to do. I don’t think she’s up there trying to hit a home run. She’s trying to make solid contact. And that’s the good part of it. If she’s trying to hit a home run, she’ll pop it up a mile high.”

Sam Landry worked out of the bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh by inducing an inning-ending double-play, one of three twin-killings OU had in the game.

“It’s amazing,” Landry said. “We work on double plays all the time. So, they’re fun to turn in a game. They’re definitely a momentum changer.”

Landry threw 139 total pitches, allowed eight hits, four walks, struck out two and surrendered just one earned run. She is now 5-0 in this year’s NCAA Tournament 24-4.

“Wow,” OU coach Patty Gasso began her post-game interview session after the Tennessee thriller. “Just speechless when you’re down there and when you’re a team that is struggling to find a way to get on base.”

The Sooners’ last push began when Ailana Agbayani walked on four straight pitches to start the bottom of the seventh. After a strikeout and popout, Kasidi Pickering singled through the right side, moving Agbayani to third. With the crowd on its feet, Parker drilled the 0-1 pitch 236 feet over the wall in center.

“I wasn’t trying to make any moment too big,” said Parker, who hit a solo homer in the first inning to draw OU to within 2-1. “I thought all the batters before that did a good job staying loose throughout the moment and not letting the moment get too big. I just remember rounding the bases with my team’s arms wide open and starting to get really teary-eyed and really emotional. It was really, really cool to have them with us this whole time. And we never got out of it. We kept the faith until the end. And just being able to run into them was, like, really, really, really awesome.”

Parker’s walk-off home run wrote yet another chapter in OU softball fighting back from the dead and somehow pulling through.

The program has seen its fair share of historical and magical moments the past four seasons – and throughout Gasso’s tenure. It has caused more popularity and rise of the sport and the Women’s College World Series and has caused teams to spend millions on their roster to try and take down the Sooners.

“We just needed to stay in the game as long as we could and give ourselves a chance,” Gasso said. “... As long as we have one swing left, we have life.”

Parker and the Sooners (51-7) get to have a day off Friday before heading back to Devon Park on Saturday to face Texas (52-11) in a rematch of the 2024 WCWS Finals at 2 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

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