Softball: Sooners outlast Florida in extra innings to open series

It looked like the Sooners would fall victim to missed opportunities at Florida on Thursday. They had stranded nine batters through eight innings and couldn't seize on chances to take momentum.

However, they finally broke through in the ninth inning.

The Sooners opened the extra frame with back-to-back-to-back singles from Ella Parker, Ailana Agbayani and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, loading the bases with zero outs. Abby Dayton came to the plate and delivered an RBI single, giving the Sooners a one-run lead.

In a game where momentum went back and forth, that proved to be the game-winning play. The Sooners came away with a 6-5 win in Gainesville, putting them one away from clinching the SEC regular-season championship.

The Sooners couldn't have asked for a better start. Abby Dayton — picking up from her good weekend against Texas — hit an RBI double that scored Ailana Agbayani in the top of the second inning. In the top of the third, Kasidi Pickering blasted a solo home run to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead.

But Florida responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. The Gators logged just one hit in the frame, but the Gators added a run on an infield error and on a wild pitch from Sam Landry.

The game remain locked at 3-2 until the sixth inning, when it appeared the Sooners had seized the lead for good. Ella Parker opened the frame with a solo home run — her third bomb in six games — and Tia Milloy and Hannah Coor hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Sooners a 5-3 lead. It was only Milloy's second hit in SEC play, but the freshman came up a big as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded.

However, Florida's Mia Williams responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame to tie the game.

Both teams missed opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings. The Sooners had runners on the corners in the seventh inning but couldn't capitalize after back-to-back fly outs. Sam Landry managed to keep Florida from scoring in the bottom of the frame despite having a runner on third base.

But Coor's RBI in the ninth inning was the difference maker.

Parker led the way with three hits. Pickering, Dayton and Agbayani each had two hits. The Sooners finished with 15 hits and left 12 runners stranded.

Landry went all nine innings and threw 164 pitches. She surrendered nine hits, three earned runs and five walks while striking out six batters.

The Sooners improve to 43-5 on the season and 17-5 in SEC play. They'll look to clinch the series — and the SEC title — at 4 p.m. Friday (SECN).

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