Patty Gasso left speechless after Ella Parker walk-off home run to beat Tennessee in WCWS

Tennessee had the four-time defending national champions beat with two outs left in the bottom of the seventh inning. Then Ella Parker stepped up to the plate, sending a three-run home run to center field to help Oklahoma walk-off the Volunteers 4-3 on Thursday night.

It couldn’t have been a more dramatic ending for the Sooners, who had trailed Tennessee since they put up two runs in the top of the first inning. Head coach Patty Gasso summed up what every single Sooners fan was thinking following the improbable victory.

“Wow. I just was speechless,” Gasso said during her postgame press conference. “When you’re down there and when your team is struggling to find a way to get on base — and I thought Tennessee played outstanding and pitched outstanding. The one thing that we noticed, and I’m just be really honest, is that I was watching people leave the game.

“It was in the seventh and I kind of shared that with the team, not that it had anything to do with anything, but people thought we were done. And one thing, if you’re watching us throughout the season, we’re never done. You give us one extra strike or one extra pitch, and we’re going to find something out of it. And usually, Ella [Parker] is on the end of that.”

Gasso’s initial reaction said it all. The Sooners head coach raised her right fist in the air in victory the moment the ball left Parker’s bat. She threw the paper that was in her hand in the air and greeted each player on their way to home plate. All while Devon Park exploded with excitement for the close-to-home Sooners.

NO WAY walk off pic.twitter.com/KM5lkTSOoh

— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) May 29, 2025

It’s a feel-good moment for Parker, who was seen on the broadcast emotional while embracing her teammates in the moments after she cross home plate after the victory. Her massive play is even more impressive considering she has been dealing with an injury to her foot that has kept her in a boot off the field.

Despite this, she’s played in almost every game for the Sooners during the 2025 college softball season. She’s also the best slugger on the team with a .418 batting average despite the ailment.

The Sooners will look to take this momentum into Saturday, where they will face bitter rival Texas in the second round of the Women’s College World Series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC.