OKLAHOMA CITY – Seventh-ranked Tennessee battled hard all game, but a 3-run walk-off home run for No. 2 Oklahoma handed the Lady Vols a heart-breaking 4-3 loss in their first game of the 2025 Women’s College World Series at Devon Park.
The Big Orange (45-16) led the majority of the game thanks to a 2-run first inning. However, it was a two-homer day for the Sooners’ Ella Parker, who drove in all four Oklahoma (51-7) runs.
Karlyn Pickens fought hard on the mound against OU’s potent offense, striking out eight batters and keeping the Sooners to five hits. The Tennessee offense had eight base knocks and drew four walks but left seven stranded.
Taylor Pannell (3) and Laura Mealer (2) each had multi-hit games for the Lady Vols, while Ella Dodge drew a pair of walks.
The Lady Vols gained the early momentum, as a Gabby Leach single over the shortstop’s head followed by a double to right center by Pannell had the Big Orange with a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. Leach and Pannell each crossed the plate thanks to a passed ball and then a sac fly to right field by Sophia Nugent. The Sooners got one run back in the bottom half of the opening frame thanks to Parker’s first long ball of the game.
In the top of the third, Dodge drew her first walk after getting behind in the count. That patience at the plate was rewarded two batters later, when McKenna Gibson blasted a ball to the left-center gap that bounced off the glove of OU’s left fielder. Dodge’s heads-up running just beat out a bang-bang play at the plate to give Tennessee a 3-1 advantage.
Up next, the Lady Vols will play Florida in an elimination game on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN.
