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OU, Abby Dayton with one last memorable shot but not enough vs. Texas Tech in WCWS

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•06/02/25•

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NiJaree Canady5
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady. (Nathan J. Fish - Imagn Images)

OKLAHOMA CITY – It was going to take something incredibly special to take down the OU softball team.

Freshmen, transfers – it doesn’t matter. And it hadn’t mattered for the majority of the 2025 season.

And Abby Dayton wanted to make sure you remember this team one more time. But it just wasn’t enough.

After Dayton hit one of the most improbable home runs in Women’s College World Series history, it was Texas Tech showing the heart of a champion despite never having been here.

Lauren Allred with a game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Raiders to a 3-2 thrilling victory against OU in the WCWS semifinals Monday at Devon Park.

Texas Tech goes from a team that had never been to OKC for the WCWS to now playing in the championship series against Texas. The Longhorns defeated Tennessee and are playing for it all for the third time in four seasons.

But oh my, did OU give the softball world one more epic memory. OU trailed 2-0 in the top of the seventh. Dayton came up with a runner on, two outs and down 0-2 in the count.

She came up short in two shots to the warning track earlier. Dayton did not miss this one from star pitcher NiJaree Canady.

A two-run bomb that sent Devon Park into a frenzy. But Canady bounced back and showed she, too, was ready for this type of moment.

Canady threw all seven innings, allowing five hits with the two runs, one walk and eight strikeouts.

Landry gave one last gritty effort. All said and done, she threw more than 400 pitches in Oklahoma City. Her final line Monday? She threw 6.2 innings, allowing six hits, the three runs with three walks and six strikeouts. Landry ends her lone decorated season at OU at 25-6.

All season long, OU head coach Patty Gasso talked about learning the lessons. How there was never enough time to keep teaching, keep coaching, keep figuring things out.

The OU freshmen were poised for the majority of the season, but the youth showed up in the last week at Devon Park.

Sydney Barker sparked the offense and was 3-for-3 for the Sooners.

The Sooners end at 52-9. Gasso got the joy of coaching again and this team exceeded all expectations. Except for maybe its own.

OU won the outright regular season SEC championship and earned the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It took a generational talent like Canady to end the championship run. But for the first time this decade, the OU softball season ends without hoisting the national championship trophy.

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