Day 3 of the 2025 SEC Softball Tournament brought everything you’d expect from the nation’s premier conference—dominant pitching, explosive offense, and unforgettable moments. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Texas A&M all punched their tickets to the semifinal round at Jack Turner Stadium, setting up a power-packed Friday lineup.
Here’s a full breakdown of Thursday’s action:
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Landry Locks It Down as Oklahoma Advances in SEC Tournament Debut
In their first-ever SEC Tournament game, the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners wasted no time making a statement.
Right-hander Sam Landry was nearly untouchable, spinning a complete game one-hitter to lead the Sooners past No. 9 LSU, 4-1. Landry (19-4) fanned seven and didn’t allow a single hit out of the infield, delivering the kind of postseason performance that championship runs are built on.
“She was incredible,” head coach Patty Gasso said postgame. “Her command, her poise, her ability to work around traffic late—this is exactly the kind of competitor you want in the circle when it matters.”
Oklahoma struck early and methodically built their lead behind timely hitting and disciplined approaches at the plate. Cydney Sanders, the heartbeat of the Sooners’ offense, was in the middle of it all. She drove in three runs—including a two-run blast in the fifth—and also tallied an RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first.
“We talk about doing damage when we get the chance,” Sanders said. “I just stayed relaxed and trusted my swing.”
Sydney Barker added an RBI single in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a sequence that started with a leadoff walk by Sanders and aggressive baserunning from pinch runner Chaney Helton.
LSU didn’t roll over. The Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth and scratched a run across, but Landry calmly escaped the jam by retiring the heart of LSU’s order. She then closed the door in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning to seal her 15th complete game of the season.
Statistically, Oklahoma has now won nine of 13 matchups against top-10 teams this year, a number that speaks to their readiness for the SEC gauntlet. The win also marked the Sooners’ 56th home run of the season.
Oklahoma (44-7) moves on to face No. 6 Arkansas in a must-watch semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
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Kramer’s Slam Propels Arkansas Past Tennessee
Arkansas senior Raigan Kramer picked the perfect time to deliver the biggest swing of her season.
With the Razorbacks clinging to a 2-1 lead in the seventh and the bases loaded, Kramer jumped on the first pitch she saw and crushed a grand slam over the right-center wall to cap a 6-1 win over Tennessee. The blast, her second career grand slam, delivered the knockout punch in a tense quarterfinal and propelled Arkansas into the semifinals for the first time since 2022.
“I knew she hadn’t thrown me a ball all day,” Kramer said. “So when I saw that first one come out of her hand, I just went for it.”
Her head coach Courtney Deifel couldn’t contain her pride afterward. “I’m just really proud of our team,” she said. “It was a battle with Tennessee and Karlyn Pickens, but we stayed composed, stayed in the fight, and Robyn [Herron] was just phenomenal for us in the circle.”
Herron, a junior from Tampa, outdueled Pickens for the second time this year, tossing her 22nd career complete game. She struck out nine while allowing just one unearned run on six hits. Her calm presence on the mound set the tone for a team that played clean and confident behind her.
“I just had to pitch my game,” Herron said. “Trust my stuff and let it work.”
Kramer finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Reagan Johnson and Bri Ellis also tallied multi-hit performances, with Ellis extending her on-base streak to 27 games. Arkansas is now 40-11 on the season and appears to be peaking at just the right time.
The win was also a milestone moment—Kramer’s slam was the 600th home run of the Courtney Deifel era.
Arkansas will now meet Oklahoma in Friday’s semifinal in a clash that promises elite pitching and explosive bats on both sides.
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Texas Walks Off in Wild Win Over Ole Miss
Thursday night’s final quarterfinal delivered edge-of-your-seat drama as Texas fended off a ferocious Ole Miss comeback to win 7-6 in walk-off fashion.
Mia Scott played the hero, delivering a game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh to score Ashton Maloney and push Texas into the semifinals. It was a full-circle moment for the senior, who also moved into second place on the program’s all-time RBI list with the clutch hit.
“Total team win tonight,” head coach Mike White said. “Ole Miss made us earn every bit of it. We were tested mentally and emotionally, and I’m proud of how we responded.”
Texas jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead in the first inning behind hits from Reese Atwood, Katie Stewart, and Joley Mitchell. Kayden Henry added a two-run homer in the fourth, pushing the lead to 6-1.
But Ole Miss didn’t go quietly. The Rebels exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game, setting the stage for a nervy finish. Credit Texas reliever Citlaly Gutierrez (10-1), who steadied the ship with two perfect innings to close the game and earn the win.
“Our dugout never lost belief,” said Henry. “We talk about embracing adversity and we had to live that out tonight.”
Texas is now 5-0 against Ole Miss since Mike White took over the program. The Longhorns will now face longtime rival Texas A&M for a shot at Saturday’s championship game.
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Aggies Run Wild in Statement Win Over South Carolina
No. 2 seed Texas A&M left no doubt in the final quarterfinal of the night, run-ruling No. 7 South Carolina 12-4 in five innings to advance to the SEC semifinals. The Aggies capitalized on five Gamecock errors and broke the game open with multi-run innings in the second, fourth, and fifth.
Sophomore slugger Mya Perez headlined the offensive explosion, going 2-for-4 with a home run, five RBIs, and two runs scored. Her five RBIs matched the most in an SEC Tournament game in league history and brought her season total to 68—just four shy of Texas A&M’s single-season record.
Freshman Kelsey Mathis sparked a two-out rally in the second inning with a clutch single, before Kennedy Powell followed with her first home run of the year—a two-run shot to give the Aggies the lead. Perez then launched an opposite-field homer to cap the inning.
Emiley Kennedy (20-4) picked up her 50th career complete game with 5.0 innings of work, allowing four runs and striking out six. The junior lefty became the first A&M pitcher since 2013 to win 20+ games in back-to-back seasons.
Koko Wooley added a 3-for-4 night with three runs scored and a stolen base, pushing her career totals to 164 runs (5th all-time at A&M) and 242 hits (4th). A&M’s 12 runs set a single-game SEC Tournament record, and their 11 RBIs tied the tournament mark shared by Georgia (2015) and Florida (2009).
The Aggies (44-9) now have 17 run-rule wins this season, and have reached the semifinals in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history under second-year head coach Trisha Ford.
Looking Ahead: Semifinals Set to Sizzle
With Oklahoma and Arkansas set for a top-ranked showdown and Texas and Texas A&M renewing their Lone Star rivalry, Friday’s semifinals promise intensity, history, and major postseason implications.
Up Next:
Oklahoma vs. Arkansas – Friday, May 9 | 3 p.m. CT | ESPN2
Texas vs. Texas A&M – Friday, May 9 | 6 p.m. CT | SEC Network
The final four features four top-10 teams with legitimate Women’s College World Series aspirations. Buckle up.
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