Ella Parker hits walk-off HR, Oklahoma survives Tennessee at WCWS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Ella Parker blasted a three-run walk-off home run to lift second-seeded Oklahoma to a 4-3 win over seventh-seeded Tennessee in the opening round of the Women's College World Series on Thursday.

The Sooners will take on Texas on Saturday in the second round, while the Volunteers will face Florida in an elimination game Friday.

With two outs in the seventh, Oklahoma was 0-for-13 with runners on base in the game, their only run coming on Parker's first-inning home run.

But after a leadoff walk, Kasidi Pickering's hard single up the middle set up Parker's heroics.

Parker took the first pitch from Karlyn Pickens before blasting the second pitch over the center field wall to give the four-time defending champions another improbable WCWS victory.

The Vols got on the board quickly against Sam Landry, with back-to-back hits from Gabby Leach and Taylor Pannell.

Leach came around the score on a passed ball and Pannell scored on Sophia Nugent's sacrifice fly.

Oklahoma cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on Parker's 14th home run of the season. The home run was just the seventh surrendered by Pickens this season.

Tennessee scored an unearned run in the third when Oklahoma left fielder Pickering couldn't handle McKenna Gibson's sinking liner, allowing Ella Dodge to come around to score.

But then Landry settled in, keeping Tennessee off the board and giving the Sooners' offense a chance to win it in the end.

--Field Level Media