No. 1 Softball Outlasts No. 10 South Carolina in SEC-Opening Win, 10-9

Friday, March 7

6:30 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

20-0, 1-0

South Carolina

20-1, 0-1

South Carolina

Oklahoma Sooners

Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

No. 1 Softball Outlasts No. 10 South Carolina in SEC-Opening Win, 10-9

March 07, 2025 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Emerling Homers Twice, Sooners Improve to 20-0

NORMAN — No. 1 Oklahoma Softball (20-0, 1-0 SEC) pounded out 12 hits and overcame an early 5-1 deficit to defeat No. 10 South Carolina (20-1, 0-1 SEC), 10-9, in Oklahoma's inaugural Southeastern Conference game Friday, March 7.

The Sooners got a big lift from Isabela Emerling's scorching hot bat as she clubbed a pair of two-run home runs. Gabbie Garcia homered for the fourth straight game and Hannah Coor chimed in with the eventual game-winning two-RBI double in the sixth.

With the win the Sooners are the final unbeaten team in the nation as OU picked up its first ever SEC win Friday night in front of 4,140 at Love's Field.

OU 10, South Carolina 9
Kasidi Pickering robbed Arianna Rodi of extra bases with a leaping play at the wall to end the first inning, setting up the OU bats in the first. Ella Parker and Pickering patiently worked consecutive walks and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas drove in Parker with a single to left.

The Gamecocks generated five runs on four singles and two errors in the second, taking a 5-1 lead. OU bounced back and put up two runs in the bottom half of the inning after Ailana Agbayani doubled and Emerling hit a towering home run down the left field line.

OU regained the lead, 6-5, lead thanks to an opposite field three-run home run from Gabbie Garcia, who drove in Pickering and McEnroe-Marinas after they singled earlier in the inning.

South Carolina got one back to tie it at 6-6 in the top of the fifth thanks to a Lexi Winters sac fly. Isabella Smith escaped a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and groundout.

Emerling broke the tie with one swing, lining a two-run home run to right field to drive in Agbayani and make it 8-6 Sooners in the fifth.

Smith retired South Carolina in order, bringing OU to the plate looking for insurance. Coor provided not just insurance but the eventual game-winning two-RBI double inside the first base bag, scoring Garcia and Agbayani after they singled earlier in the frame.

South Carolina's Lexi Winters hit a three-run home run in the seventh to cut it to one, but Smith retired the next three hitters she faced.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Isabella Smith (6-0)
Loss: Jori Heard (10-1)

Statistical Snapshot

Gabbie Garcia | 2-for-4, HR, 3RBIs, 2R
Ailana Agbayani | 3-for-3, 3R, 2B, BB
Isabela Emerling | 2-for-3, 2HR, 4RBIs
Kasidi Pickering | 2-for-2, R, 2B, 2BB

Notes

Garcia has homered in four consecutive games
Emerling posted the fourth two-homer game for a Sooner this year
OU is the last remaining unbeaten team in the nation
Emerling has posted 11 RBIs in the past two games
Smith earned her sixth straight win
OU is 24-5 in league openers if you include Big 12 openers
The Sooners have won 20 straight and 23 if you date back to last season
OU is 3-0 against ranked teams this year
The last time OU hosted a top 10 team to start league play was against No. 3 Missouri March 27, 2010
Five Sooners had multi-hit nights, paced by Agbayani's three-hit evening
It was OU's third double-digit scoring effort in as many games and fifth this season

Up Next
OU and South Carolina will meet for a doubleheader Sunday, with game one starting at 1:30 p.m. Game two will begin 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one.