OU Softball: Comeback Bid Falls Short For Sooners

No. 3 Oklahoma (10-3) tried to rally back from a 6-2 deficit, but came up one run short in a 6-5 loss to No. 7 Georgia (12-1) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday in Palm Springs, Calif.

The Sooners, who have seen all three losses come against ranked teams this season, entered the seventh inning trailing 6-2 to the Bulldogs. Senior Callie Parsons got the comeback bid started with a single to right field. Freshman Nicole Pendley joined her on the bases when she was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, senior Shelby Pendley stepped in and turned on the first pitch she saw, drilling a three-run homer to right field.

It was Shelby Pendley's third home run of the season and the 44th of her OU career, tying Heather Scaglione (2002-05) for seventh on the school's all-time list. It was also Pendley's 63rd career home run. Her three runs driven in gave Shelby Pendley 164 in her Sooners' career to move her past former teammate Brittany Williams (162 from 2011-14) and into a tie for ninth all-time with Kelli Braitsch (2000-03) on the OU career ledger.

The loss was handed to OU freshman Paige Parker, who entered in relief of Shelby Pendley after the latter got two outs in the first inning. Parker threw the final 5.1 innings, giving up four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk while seeing her record drop to 3-2. At the plate, Parker went 2-3 and hit the first home run of her career. She also scored a run and drove in a pair of runs, matching career highs in hits and RBI.