OU Beats 'Bama Behind Knighten's Walk-Off

^6/6Alabama

^13/14 Oklahoma

Box Score

Bottom of Seventh Replay

Highlights

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
ALA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
OU	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Parker (8-3)	7.0	2	0	0	0	5
L - Osorio (8-3)	6.1	2	2	2	2	13
S - N/A	-	-	-	-	-	-

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Knighten	3	1	1	2	0	1
ALA - Hawkins	2	0	1	0	0	0

Game Notes
Oklahoma now trails the all-time series against Alabama, 9-5 ... OU snapped a two-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide ... Alabama was shut out for the first time this season ... the Sooners are now 3-4 against ranked teams this year ... the win was OU's 10th via shutout ... the last time OU won a game with two hits or fewer was on 2/9/14 when the a solo home run was the team's only hit in a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh in Fullerton ... freshman Shay Knighten's home run was her sixth of the year, tying for the team lead with sophomore Lea Wodach ... sophomore Paige Parker threw her fourth shutout of the year

Game Notes

Oklahoma now trails the all-time series against Alabama, 9-5 ... OU snapped a two-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide ... Alabama was shut out for the first time this season ... the Sooners are now 3-4 against ranked teams this year ... the win was OU's 10th via shutout ... the last time OU won a game with two hits or fewer was on 2/9/14 when the a solo home run was the team's only hit in a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh in Fullerton ... freshman Shay Knighten's home run was her sixth of the year, tying for the team lead with sophomore Lea Wodach ... sophomore Paige Parker threw her fourth shutout of the year

FULLERTON, Calif. – Freshman Shay Knighten's two-run, walk-off home run was the only offense No. 13/14 Oklahoma (20-6) needed in a 2-0 win over No. 6/6 Alabama (26-5) at the Easton Tournament Saturday night in Fullerton Calif.

The game was the first meeting between the two schools since the Crimson Tide ended the Sooners' season a year ago in the Super Regionals. In fact, the previous seven meetings in the series had all come in the postseason with the Tide holding a 5-2 advantage in those games.

Saturday's game had the feel of a postseason matchup, featuring a pitching duel between sophomores who were NFCA Second Team All-Americans last season.

Oklahoma's Paige Parker didn't put up the numbers that Alabama's Alexis Osorio did, but she had the stat that mattered most: the win.

Parker struck out five with no walks and just two hits allowed as she threw her fourth shutout of the season. She improved to 8-3 on the year as Alabama was shut out for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Osorio was lights out for six innings as she took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing the game-winning hit. She struck out 13 batters, including an impressive run of 11 straight strikeouts from the second inning through the fifth. It was just the third loss of the season for Osorio as she finished with two hits allowed, two walks and two runs given up.

Alabama's best scoring chance against Parker came in the fourth inning, but OU's defense came to the rescue.

Chandler Dare hit a leadoff single through the right side to lead off the inning, while a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt allowed Reagan Dykes to reach safely. The Crimson Tide had two runners on with no out, but Leona Lafaele hit a grounder to freshman Sydney Romero at third base. Romero stepped on third for the first out, threw to fellow freshman Caleigh Clifton at second base for the second out and the relay throw to first nearly got Lafaele for a triple play.

With Peyton Grantham at the plate, Lafaele stole second. Grantham then drilled a line drive, but sophomore Kelsey Arnold made a leaping grab at shortstop to prevent the ball from reaching the gap and saving a run.

Parker survived the threat and took control of the rest of the game as she retired the final nine batters she faced. The Independence, Mo., native came back in the fifth to strike out the side and started the sixth with another punchout. From there, she got a flyout and popout to end the inning, while in the seventh she got another flyout and a pair of groundouts.

That set the stage for the Sooners' offense in the bottom of the seventh. The team had one last chance to end the game before extra innings would've started in the eighth with the international tiebreaker in place.

Romero led off and did what no Sooner had done to that point when she singled up the middle for OU's first hit of the contest. A sacrifice bunt attempt failed for the first out, but it wouldn't matter.

Knighten had struck out in her first two at-bats against Osorio and quickly fell behind 0-2. She then took a pitch for a ball before turning on a 1-2 delivery and cranking it over the wall in left-center to set off a wild celebration at home plate. It was her sixth home run of the season, tying sophomore Lea Wodach for the most on the team this year.

Oklahoma closes out the Easton Tournament Sunday against No. 23/25 Nebraska. First pitch is scheduled for noon CT.