The Oklahoma Sooners took advantage of a critical second inning to propel themselves past California 11-2 in the winners bracket round at Johnnie T Baker Field on Saturday afternoon.
Key Moments of the Game
- The Sooners’ run started slowly, with two walks and a hit by pitch loading the bases with only one out.
- Kasidi Pickering hit an RBI single to score a run, followed by Ella Parker and Sydney Barker, who both contributed RBI singles, scoring a pair of runs and keeping the bases loaded.
- Gabbie Garcia punctuated the run with a hit by pitch that scored Pickering.
In total, four base runners were used during this stretch for three base hits, taking advantage of California’s pitching mistakes. An Oklahoma coach remarked, "That proved to be a critical frame, as it helped propel us past California."
California’s Response
The Sooners’ early lead was initially matched by California after Kaylee Pond smacked a solo shot off Sam Landry. However, once Kasidi got her foot down, there was no looking back. With every swing, she made magic happen, and soon the whole stadium knew what time it was.
Game-Changing Plays
- Gabbie Garcia sealed the deal with a grand slam in the fourth inning, pushing the lead five runs ahead.
- In another loaded bases situation, Pickering blasted a grand slam to left centerfield, putting the game away under the mercy rule. This blast gave Pickering two homers for the night, bringing her season tally to fifteen and strengthening her case as a strong contender for the national player award.
Closing the Game
Audrey Lowery closed out the game, securing the win by retiring the entire lineup without allowing any baserunner to reach safely.
Next Steps
With this win, Oklahoma advances to Sunday’s regional final, where it will face either No. 14 Texas A&M or No. 23 Oregon State, depending on the outcomes of those games later tonight. The Sooners will also need help from other results around the NCAA tournament if they want to make another trip back home next week. First things first: they must take care of business against whoever emerges victorious between the Aggies and Beavers tomorrow morning!
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
