Parker hits walk-off homer in OU’s 4-3 win against No. 7 Tennessee in WCWS
Ella Parker celebrates with her OU teammates after she hit a walk-off three-run homer Thursday to defeat Tennessee and advance in the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ella Parker hit two home runs, capped with a dramatic, three-run, walk-off shot to center field with two outs, to lift No. 2 Oklahoma (51-7) to a heart-thumping 4-3 victory over No. 7 Tennessee (45-16) on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series.
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.
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.
The outcome matches the Sooners against arch-rival No. 6 Texas (52-11) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the winner’s bracket. The Longhorns advanced with a 3-0 victory over No. 3 Florida (48-16) in Thursday’s tournament opener.
“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 inning. 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.”
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.”
Landry worked out of a 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.
Pickens threw 129 total pitches, scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked four.
“I thought Tennessee played outstanding. Pickens pitched outstanding,” Gasso said.
