**OU Takes Game 1, Alabama Coach Says “We’ve Been Here Before”**
The Oklahoma Sooners are one win away from their 18th straight trip to the Women’s College World Series after shutting down Alabama 3–0 in Game 1 of the Super Regional Friday night.
OU’s pitching was lights out, with ace Sam Landry throwing a complete game. She only gave up four hits and struck out five across 108 pitches, keeping Alabama from ever really threatening.
Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy wasn’t panicking after the loss. He reminded reporters that this isn’t new territory for his team.
“We’ve lost the first game the last two times we made it to the World Series,” Murphy said. “We’re kind of used to this. Even when we played OU in Tuscaloosa, they took Game 1. The SEC is a grind every weekend—it’s like a Super Regional every time.”
Murphy said he’s challenging his players to dig deep: “About a third of the way through, I told them, ‘You’ve got more in you. You just don’t know it yet.’ We need to see it on Saturday and Sunday. This is the time.”
Murphy also gave a lot of credit to Sam Landry for how she kept Alabama’s hitters off-balance. “Her changeup was nasty,” he said. “She’d go changeup, changeup, then come in hard and jam the lefties. That’s what good pitching does—it messes with your timing.”
Landry, a transfer from Louisiana, has clearly leveled up since arriving at OU, and Murphy gave props to the Sooners’ coaching staff—especially pitching coach Jen Rocha.
“She wasn’t like this last year,” Murphy admitted. “She was good, but now she’s better. We all wanted her in the transfer portal, but OU got her—and she’s been the right fit.”
Murphy compared elite pitchers to quarterbacks, saying you’ve got to have the right mindset to handle that kind of spotlight. “Being the QB at OU or Bama is bigger than being the governor. You’ve got to be mentally tough.”
Alabama still has pitching options for Game 2, including Catelyn Riley and Emily Winstead, both veteran seniors. Murphy said fans can expect to see one of them take the circle on Saturday.
Game 2 is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday. Alabama needs a win to keep their season alive.
