** Oklahoma Softball May Have Found Its Secret Weapon – And Just In Time!**
After a heartbreaking extra-inning loss to No. 9 Tennessee on Friday, the No. 2 Sooners fired back with a dominant 4-1 win Saturday at Love’s Field—setting up a decisive Game 3 Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
OU (31-2) has now lost a game in back-to-back weekends but remains unbeaten in SEC series play. Meanwhile, Tennessee (28-7) is fighting to stay above .500 in conference action (4-4).
Friday’s marathon saw ace **Sam Landry** pushed to a career-high 141 pitches before former Sooner **Sophia Nugent** delivered a crushing two-run homer in the eighth. The Sooners’ pitching struggles were further exposed in Wednesday’s wild 19-16 shootout with Wichita State—proving OU desperately needs another arm to step up.
Before this series, OU’s team ERA (excluding Landry) sat at **3.63**—which would rank **second-worst in the SEC**. Landry (1.31 ERA before Friday) has been a savior, but Saturday offered hope that **Kierston Deal** could be the answer.
The lefty bounced back **in a big way**, tossing a complete-game gem against a top-10 SEC foe: **1 run, 4 hits, 5 Ks**. This after a rough midweek outing (6 ER in 2.1 IP vs. Wichita State) and a loss to Missouri.
Now **7-0**, Deal leads OU in starts (10) and has a **2.72 ERA** in 54 innings. While Landry (6 complete games) remains the undisputed ace, **OU’s title hopes hinge on finding a reliable No. 2**.
**Audrey Lowry** (currently injured) could still factor in, but **Deal’s Saturday statement** proved she might just be the **X-factor** the Sooners need for **a historic fifth straight championship**.
**⚾ DON’T MISS THE RUBBER MATCH!** Can OU clinch another series? Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
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