No. 2 Softball Downs No. 10 Tennessee Behind Deal’s Complete Game

Saturday, March 29

1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

31-2, 9-2

Tennessee

28-7, 4-4

Tennessee

Oklahoma Sooners

Deal improved to 7-0 on the season with Saturday's complete game.

Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

No. 2 Softball Downs No. 10 Tennessee Behind Deal’s Complete Game

March 29, 2025 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Deal Fans Five, Sanders Launches Three-Run Homer in 4-1 Win

NORMAN — Kierston Deal scattered four hits and fanned five in a complete game, while Cydney Sanders launched the game-winning three-run home run as No. 2 Oklahoma Softball (31-2, 9-2 SEC) topped No. 10 Tennessee (28-7, 4-4 SEC), 4-1, Saturday, March 29.

Deal went all seven frames for the first time this season, walking just one while retiring 12 of the final 13 batters she faced to improve to 7-0 on the season.

Kasidi Pickering stayed hot against Tennessee, improving to 6-for-6 on the weekend with another 3-for-3 day.

Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 1
With runners at second and third, Kierston Deal came back from down 3-0 to work a popout and groundout to strand two Tennessee runners.

OU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Pickering flared a single to right and Gabbie Garcia skied an RBI triple to right field that was lost in the sun.

The Sooners got a big swing from Sanders to make it 4-0 in the bottom of third on a three-run home run to left center. Sanders drove in Garcia and Ella Parker on her seventh homer of the season. Tennessee got one back in the top of the fourth on a Taylor Pannell homer to right center.

Deal retired 12 of the next 13 batters as the Sooners earned the 4-1 win. Ailana Agbayani capped off another errorless game in the field with a diving catch in shallow center to end the game.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Kierston Deal (7-0)
Loss: Sage Mardjetko (8-2)

Statistical Snapshot

Kierston Deal | W, CG, 7.0 IP, 4H, ER, BB, 5Ks
Kasidi Pickering | 3-for-3, R
Cydney Sanders | 1-for-2, HR, 3RBIs
Gabbie Garcia | 1-for-2, R, RBI, 3B

Notes

Garcia hit her first career triple
Pickering is 6-for-6 through the series
Deal set a season high for innings (7.0), pitches thrown (104) and tied a season high in strikeouts (5)
Oklahoma is 22-0 when scoring first and 17-0 when scoring in the first inning
The Sooners are 9-1 against ranked teams and 4-1 against top-10 foes this year
Deal improves to 24-1 for her career and 7-0 for the season. It was her seventh career complete game and first of the season

Up Next
Oklahoma and Tennessee meet for the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+. A radio broadcast will be available on The Franchise 2 (1560 AM and 103.3FM) and stats will be offered on Statbroadcast.com.