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Ella Parker smacks walk-off home run, lifts Oklahoma to win vs. Tennessee in WCWS opener

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs05/29/25grant_grubbs_
Syndication: The Oklahoman
OU freshman Ella Parker. (Sarah Phipps - The Oklahoman/USA TODAY Network).

On Thursday, Oklahoma‘s back was against the wall in its showdown against Tennessee in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series. The Sooners trailed 3-1 for most of the game, including in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs.

Oklahoma had a player on first and third base with star Ella Parker up to bat. She didn’t let her fellow Sooners down. On Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens‘ second pitch, Parker crushed a home run over the centerfield fence to boost Oklahoma to a 4-3 victory.

Tears of joy rolled down Parker’s face as she trotted around the bases, eagerly jogging toward his teammates celebrating at home plate. After the game, Parker pulled back the curtain on the visibly emotional moment.

“Just going into it, I knew our fourth man was in the fire,” Parker said, referring to God. “This team has done so much, and we’ve just battled and battled and battled, and just knowing that our fourth man was with us — I’m so emotional.

“I was just doing whatever to stay loose and pass it back to my next teammate. Nothing else, just keeping it simple.”

The home run was Parker’s second of the day. She also home run to right field in the bottom of the first inning for the Sooners’ lone run previous to the final at-bat of the game.

Oklahoma couldn’t have asked for anybody better to be up to bat under the immense pressure. Parker entered the game batting .416 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs on the season. Clearly, she added to those numbers on Thursday night.

The success is nothing new for head coach Patty Gasso and the Sooners, who have won the last four national championships and made the WCWS nine of the last 10 seasons. Now, Oklahoma is one step closer to making even more history.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Gasso said earlier this month, per ESPN. “The fact that we are wearing these [super regional champion] hats, I still can’t grasp how big this is. I didn’t expect this… I think there’s some things that we can do at the World Series that are going to surprise some people.”

People are certainly surprised. Up next, the Sooners will square off against Texas on May 31 at 3 p.m. ET. Texas defeated Florida 3-0 earlier on Thursday.