OU Softball: Ella Parker’s Grand Slam Fires Oklahoma Past UCF
Ella Parker got back on track in emphatic fashion on Friday night.
After enduring a month-long slump to start conference play while battling a niggling leg injury, she busted Oklahoma’s Friday matchup against UCF wide open.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Parker clobbered a no-doubter to left field to put the Sooners up 6-0, igniting the fans who battled the damp, cold weather to head to Love’s Field.
The grand slam was Parker’s first home run since OU’s win over Missouri on March 21. Before the homer, Parker had gone 5-for-38 at the plate dating back to Oklahoma’s SEC opener on March 7.
Sam Landry was excellent again in the circle and the offense hummed around Parker, which led to OU dispatching of UCF 6-0.
The No. 2-ranked Sooners moved to 34-3 overall on the year with the win, and UCF dropped to 23-17-1.
Isabela Emerling opened the scoring with an RBI-double in the second.
The Sooners would have had a pair of runners in scoring position after the double, but Ailana Agbayani rounded third a bit too aggressively, and she ended up in a rundown between third and home.
UCF eventually threw her out, but Emerling was able to advance to third.
Two batters later, Abigale Dayton reached on a walk, and she was able to coax the Knights into a pickle between first and second which gave Emerling enough time to score, giving OU a 2-0 lead as the game entered the third inning.
In the third, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas drew a walk before Kasidi Pickering and Gabbie Garcia reached on back-to-back singles to set the table for Parker’s heroics.
OU then put a pair of runners on after the grand slam, but Agbayani was thrown out as she tried to steal third to momentarily limit the damage.
Even if the Oklahoma offense hadn’t clicked, UCF struggled to find any success against Landry.
The Knights totaled just three hits, all of which were singles, and Landry struck out four batters.
Her best work came in the fourth when she retired the side on six pitches, which was emblematic of her efficient night.
OU’s offense again loaded the bases for Parker with one out in the fourth, but she was punched out after watching the 3-2 delivery all the way into the catcher’s glove.
Sydney Barker nearly sent the game toward a run rule with a hard-hit ball that seemed destined for the alley in left-center, but UCF shortstop Aubrey Evans made a leaping grab to keep the deficit at six.
Freshman pitcher Audrey Lowry returned to the lineup for the first time since March 12 in the fifth to take over for Landry with two outs.
Lowry cruised in her return, striking out three batters and allowing no hits or free passes in 2 1/3 innings to close out the win.
The Sooners and the Knights will meet again on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. to close out OU’s portion of the Okana Invitational
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