Georgia stuns OU softball, complicating Sooners’ path to No. 1 NCAA seed

Oklahoma softball headed to Lexington, Kentucky, for the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament as the favorite the 15-team bracket for the second consecutive season. The top-seeded Sooners were eliminated on Thursday. Oklahoma looked to be headed for its 49th win after taking a 5–0 lead through three innings, but Georgia erased it with 10 unanswered runs to send coach Patty Gasso’s team home with a 10-5 loss at John Cropp Stadium — matching the largest comeback in SEC Tournament history.

REQURIED READING: Why Patty Gasso didn't mind OU softball getting 'kicked in the mouth' in SEC Tournament Expert picks, predictions for WCWS: Who will win NCAA Softball Tournament? "There was a disconnect, especially in the fourth, once they scored five and tied us, our pitching staff started to get anxious," Gasso said after the loss. "I felt our hitters get anxious.

I felt our defense get anxious. There's a glazed look on some of the faces. I was concerned about it, and I don't think we had enough to come back from that.

" The Sooners' offense went ice cold after the third inning. Oklahoma managed two hits in the final four innings of Thursday's SEC quarterfinal off Georgia freshman left-hander Presley Harrison, who struck out seven and gave up just one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings of relief. As noted by The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, Harrison retired 12 consecutive Sooners at one point in the game.