Skip to main content
Oklahoma

Gabbie Garcia caps historic OU softball comeback, walk-off three-run HR in SEC Tournament

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo05/09/25BPrzybylo
Sydney Barker
OU freshman Sydney Barker. (Dale Zanine - Imagn Images)

OU head coach Patty Gasso had to send the message after the early struggles. There’s still time, still time.

There was plenty of time, it turns out, and time for freshman Gabbie Garcia to make some SEC Tournament history.

Garcia blasted a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to cap a comeback for the ages. Down five runs, OU finds a way to win 8-6 against Arkansas in the semifinal of the SEC Tournament on Friday afternoon in Athens, Ga.

OU trailed 6-1 but kept chipping away. Kept chipping away, literally one run at a time. Going into the seventh inning, OU had already set the SEC Tournament record with hitting five home runs. But all of them before Garcia? Solo shots.

Garcia made it count when runners were on base. Kasidi Pickering led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. After a fielder’s choice, it was a double by Nelly McEnroe-Marinas to set the stage for Garcia.

But she had a lot of help along the way. Freshman Sydney Barker, in the lineup for the second game in a row, had two solo home runs. Ella Parker pitched in with one, as did Isabela Emerling.

Trailing 6-4 in the sixth, it was Ailana Agbayani getting into the act with the fifth solo shot that set the record.

Pitchers Kierston Deal and Isabella Smith did not have the best stuff as the Razorbacks raced out to the 6-1 lead in the third inning.

But this was the time for freshman Audrey Lowry. Coming in for a tight spot, Lowry threw three scoreless innings, allowing zero hits and striking out three.

It is the largest comeback in SEC Tournament history.

Up next

Job is not done. No. 1 OU (45-7) will take on either No. 2 Texas A&M or No. 3 Texas in the SEC championship 4 p.m. Saturday. OU has not played the Aggies this season. The Sooners, of course, swept Texas last month in a three-game set in Norman.

You may also like