OKLAHOMA CITY — Ella Parker hit a three-run, walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Oklahoma to a 4-3 victory against Tennessee in the Women’s College World Series opener for both teams on Thursday.
Parker’s second homer of the game off Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens strengthened the Sooners’ chances of winning a fifth straight national title.
Pickens, a National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-American, had dominated most of the game, with her pitches regularly hitting 75 mph, before faltering late.
Ailana Agbayani opened Oklahoma’s half of the seventh with a walk. Pickens retired the next two hitters before Oklahoma’s pair of first-team All-Americans came through. Kasidi Pickering singled and moved Agbayani to third before Parker’s blast to center ended the game.
Second-seeded Oklahoma (51-7) advanced to face No. 6 seed Texas, a 3-0 winner over No. 3 Florida in its opener, on Saturday for a spot in the semifinals.
Oklahoma has beaten Texas in the championship…
