#1 OU softball takes series opener over top ten Florida

Fresh off a sweep over rival Texas, the top-ranked Oklahoma softball team opened a critical top-ten series at No. 7 Florida on Thursday night.

At 16-5 in SEC play, the Sooners need two wins this weekend to clinch a league title.

OU started the final regular season series in style thanks to an Abby Dayton RBI double to right center field in the second inning. Kasidi Pickering then gave the Sooners a two-run lead on a solo home run to left field in the third inning.

Florida answered, though, with three runs in the bottom of the third, and the back-and-forth ballgame was on.

Ella Parker tied the game at three in the top of the sixth with a solo shot to right field. The Sooners would then tack on two more runs in the frame thanks to a pair of RBI singles by Tia Malloy and Hannah Coor.

The Gators had a response in the bottom of the sixth. Mia Williams tied the game at five with a two-run bomb to centerfield.

The game went to extra innings, tied at five, and it stayed that way until the ninth inning. Just like it started, Dayton came up with a clutch RBI single into centerfield.

Sooners pitcher Sam Landry, who went the distance, held down the Gators in the bottom of the frame to give OU the 6-5 victory.

With the win, the Sooners need just one more victory to claim the SEC regular season title in their first year in the league.

The Sooners and Gators will play game two of their series on Friday at 5 p.m.