Friday, May 22
Norman, Okla.
12 p.m.
Mississippi State
42-18
11
at
9
#2 Oklahoma
51-9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 4 |
Bulldogs Battle Back To Down No. 2 Oklahoma In Super Regional Opener
May 22, 2026 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 20 Mississippi State is now one win away from the Women's College World Series. The Bulldogs went on the road and battled back for an 11-9 victory at No. 2 Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs had a hit in every inning, totaling a season-high 15 hits. It was the most runs State (42-18) had scored against a Power Four opponent all season, and the hits and runs were both the most allowed by Oklahoma (51-9) this year.
"I'm just really proud of this team, the fight, the grit they showed, and just knowing that this is what we've really worked hard for," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "They really, truly believed that we would come out here and compete. We talk all the time that in the SEC, our conference, every weekend is like a super regional. So, we felt like our schedule this season had really prepared us for this weekend, and I just really loved the fight they showed. It was just up-and-down the lineup, people who started in the lineup, who entered in later in the game. That's really been kind of the MO for this group all year long. They embrace their roles. They're ready to come out and attack."
State opened the scoring by scratching across a run on an infield single from Tatum Silva in the third, but the Sooners responded with three home runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 5-1. A solo home run from Des Rivera in the fourth cut the lead back down to three runs, but Oklahoma added another run in the bottom of that frame.
Trailing 6-2, the Bulldogs responded with nine runs over the final two innings to rally back. State scored four runs in the sixth to tie the ballgame with RBIs from Nadia Barbary and Morgan Bernardini.
The home run ball for Oklahoma gave the Sooners the lead once again in the bottom of the sixth, but MSU tallied five runs in the top of the fifth. Abby Grace Richardson delivered an RBI double to start the comeback. The Bulldogs then went station-to-station as Xiane Romero drove in a run with a base hit, Bernardini drew a bases-loaded walk and Silva beat out another infield single.
It marks OU's first Super Regional loss since 2015 and snaps a 32-game NCAA Tournament winning streak for the Sooners at Love's Field. Per ESPN Insights, the Sooners were 77-0 when leading by at least four runs in regional and super regional play entering Friday afternoon.
"A lot of times this season, our pitchers have had our back, and I thought, this time, the offense did a really good job having the pitchers' back. They gave us some great outings. Leila Ammon was huge, coming in relief for us. And then for Delainey [Everett] to finish it the way she did, after what she's been through the last two years, is a really special moment for her and for this program. We're just continuing to try and take it one pitch at a time. That was really the focus, not looking too far in advance, and controlling what we control. We know we're going to give up hits. We're going to give up runs. So what? Getting right back to being focused on playing Mississippi State softball, staying aggressive, attacking, and letting the chips fall as they might."
Tatum Silva on playing in a hostile atmosphere…
"It's a big atmosphere here. Got a lot going on, a lot of noise, and it is a challenge. It is a challenge to stay calm in those moments, but the biggest thing is just trusting within yourself and the people behind you. I think that's the biggest thing. It's never just you. You know, it's the girls around you that you work with every day, day-in, day-out, on the field, off the field, building that trust with them and knowing that, you know, if you don't got it in that moment, they're going to be right behind you and pick you up."
Abby Grace Richardson on the offense's mindset having to make a comeback today…
"I think just, it's expected. You're not going to keep OU scoreless. And, I mean, why not us? Why not this team? Why not us be the team to stop them? I mean, we always fight for each other, and I think we did a good job with that today."
Morgan Bernardini – Went 2-for-2 with two RBIs … drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the top of the seventh to tie the game.
Alyssa Faircloth – Started the NCAA Tournament with a run of 20.0 consecutive scoreless innings, which was 1.2 innings shy of her career-long.
Kinley Keller – Has reached base in every game of the 2026 postseason … now 6-for-12 in the postseason with four doubles and two walks … extended her career-long reached-base streak to seven games.
Abby Grace Richardson – Went 2-for-2 after entering as a pinch hitter.
Des Rivera – Hit her first career NCAA Tournament home run … finished the day 3-for-3, matching her career high in hits … added a double and scored a second run … picked a runner off first base.
Tatum Silva – Went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs including driving in the game-winning runs … now leads the team with five NCAA Tournament RBIs.
Morgan Stiles – Tied the MSU NCAA Tournament record with 13 career hits … boasts a career .481 (13-for-27) average in the NCAA Tournament … has a hit in all eight NCAA Tournament games she's played in her career … also walked today.
With one out, Nadia Barbary singled through the left side. Xiane Romero then walked, and Kinley Keller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs, Tatum Silva beat out an infield single, scoring Barbary.
No. 20 Mississippi State 1, No. 2 Oklahoma 0
Bottom 3
Kai Minor walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Kendall Wells hit a two-run homer. Gabbie Garcia singled up the middle before Isabela Emerling and Kasidi Pickering hit back-to-back homers.
No. 20 Mississippi State 1, No. 2 Oklahoma 5
Top 4
Des Rivera led off with a solo home run to left field.
No. 20 Mississippi State 2, No. 2 Oklahoma 5
Bottom 4
With one out, Minor singled through the left side. She went from first to third when Ella Parker reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. Wells singled to left, scoring Minor.
No. 20 Mississippi State 2, No. 2 Oklahoma 6
Top 6
Rivera doubled down the left field line to open the inning. With one out, Abby Grace Richardson delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle, advancing Rivera to third. Barbary singled to right, scoring Rivera. With two outs, the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Kiarra Sells hit a hard ground ball off the third baseman's glove, allowing Richardson to score and Barbary to reach third. Barbary scored and Sells went to second on a passed ball. Morgan Bernardini singled up the middle to score Sells.
No. 20 Mississippi State 6, No. 2 Oklahoma 6
Bottom 6
Sydney Barker singled up the middle to lead off. With one out, Parker also singled up the middle before Wells hit her second home run of the day.
No. 20 Mississippi State 6, No. 2 Oklahoma 9
Top 7
Paige Ernstes and Rivera led off with back-to-back singles. Ally Supan ran for Ernstes at first. With one out, Richardson doubled into left center, scoring Supan and advancing Rivera to third. Barbary was intentionally walked to load the bases. Romero singled through the right side to score Rivera. Gabby Schaeffer pinch ran for Barbary at first. With two outs, Bernardini walked to score Richardson. Silva beat out an infield single to second base that drove in Schaeffer. The throw to first was wild, letting Romero come home from second.
No. 20 Mississippi State 11, No. 2 Oklahoma 9
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
The Bulldogs had a hit in every inning, totaling a season-high 15 hits. It was the most runs State (42-18) had scored against a Power Four opponent all season, and the hits and runs were both the most allowed by Oklahoma (51-9) this year.
"I'm just really proud of this team, the fight, the grit they showed, and just knowing that this is what we've really worked hard for," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "They really, truly believed that we would come out here and compete. We talk all the time that in the SEC, our conference, every weekend is like a super regional. So, we felt like our schedule this season had really prepared us for this weekend, and I just really loved the fight they showed. It was just up-and-down the lineup, people who started in the lineup, who entered in later in the game. That's really been kind of the MO for this group all year long. They embrace their roles. They're ready to come out and attack."
State opened the scoring by scratching across a run on an infield single from Tatum Silva in the third, but the Sooners responded with three home runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 5-1. A solo home run from Des Rivera in the fourth cut the lead back down to three runs, but Oklahoma added another run in the bottom of that frame.
Trailing 6-2, the Bulldogs responded with nine runs over the final two innings to rally back. State scored four runs in the sixth to tie the ballgame with RBIs from Nadia Barbary and Morgan Bernardini.
The home run ball for Oklahoma gave the Sooners the lead once again in the bottom of the sixth, but MSU tallied five runs in the top of the fifth. Abby Grace Richardson delivered an RBI double to start the comeback. The Bulldogs then went station-to-station as Xiane Romero drove in a run with a base hit, Bernardini drew a bases-loaded walk and Silva beat out another infield single.
It marks OU's first Super Regional loss since 2015 and snaps a 32-game NCAA Tournament winning streak for the Sooners at Love's Field. Per ESPN Insights, the Sooners were 77-0 when leading by at least four runs in regional and super regional play entering Friday afternoon.
Quotables
Samantha Ricketts on the pitching staff's effort… "A lot of times this season, our pitchers have had our back, and I thought, this time, the offense did a really good job having the pitchers' back. They gave us some great outings. Leila Ammon was huge, coming in relief for us. And then for Delainey [Everett] to finish it the way she did, after what she's been through the last two years, is a really special moment for her and for this program. We're just continuing to try and take it one pitch at a time. That was really the focus, not looking too far in advance, and controlling what we control. We know we're going to give up hits. We're going to give up runs. So what? Getting right back to being focused on playing Mississippi State softball, staying aggressive, attacking, and letting the chips fall as they might."
Tatum Silva on playing in a hostile atmosphere…
"It's a big atmosphere here. Got a lot going on, a lot of noise, and it is a challenge. It is a challenge to stay calm in those moments, but the biggest thing is just trusting within yourself and the people behind you. I think that's the biggest thing. It's never just you. You know, it's the girls around you that you work with every day, day-in, day-out, on the field, off the field, building that trust with them and knowing that, you know, if you don't got it in that moment, they're going to be right behind you and pick you up."
Abby Grace Richardson on the offense's mindset having to make a comeback today…
"I think just, it's expected. You're not going to keep OU scoreless. And, I mean, why not us? Why not this team? Why not us be the team to stop them? I mean, we always fight for each other, and I think we did a good job with that today."
Quick Hitters
Nadia Barbary – Collected two hits and an RBI … now leads the team with 41 RBIs and 15 multi-hit games on the year … it was her 51st career multi-hit game … scored twice and her pinch runner scored the winning run … ranks second on the team in the NCAA Tournament with four RBIs.Morgan Bernardini – Went 2-for-2 with two RBIs … drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the top of the seventh to tie the game.
Alyssa Faircloth – Started the NCAA Tournament with a run of 20.0 consecutive scoreless innings, which was 1.2 innings shy of her career-long.
Kinley Keller – Has reached base in every game of the 2026 postseason … now 6-for-12 in the postseason with four doubles and two walks … extended her career-long reached-base streak to seven games.
Abby Grace Richardson – Went 2-for-2 after entering as a pinch hitter.
Des Rivera – Hit her first career NCAA Tournament home run … finished the day 3-for-3, matching her career high in hits … added a double and scored a second run … picked a runner off first base.
Tatum Silva – Went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs including driving in the game-winning runs … now leads the team with five NCAA Tournament RBIs.
Morgan Stiles – Tied the MSU NCAA Tournament record with 13 career hits … boasts a career .481 (13-for-27) average in the NCAA Tournament … has a hit in all eight NCAA Tournament games she's played in her career … also walked today.
Scoring Recap
Top 3With one out, Nadia Barbary singled through the left side. Xiane Romero then walked, and Kinley Keller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs, Tatum Silva beat out an infield single, scoring Barbary.
No. 20 Mississippi State 1, No. 2 Oklahoma 0
Bottom 3
Kai Minor walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Kendall Wells hit a two-run homer. Gabbie Garcia singled up the middle before Isabela Emerling and Kasidi Pickering hit back-to-back homers.
No. 20 Mississippi State 1, No. 2 Oklahoma 5
Top 4
Des Rivera led off with a solo home run to left field.
No. 20 Mississippi State 2, No. 2 Oklahoma 5
Bottom 4
With one out, Minor singled through the left side. She went from first to third when Ella Parker reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. Wells singled to left, scoring Minor.
No. 20 Mississippi State 2, No. 2 Oklahoma 6
Top 6
Rivera doubled down the left field line to open the inning. With one out, Abby Grace Richardson delivered a pinch-hit single up the middle, advancing Rivera to third. Barbary singled to right, scoring Rivera. With two outs, the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Kiarra Sells hit a hard ground ball off the third baseman's glove, allowing Richardson to score and Barbary to reach third. Barbary scored and Sells went to second on a passed ball. Morgan Bernardini singled up the middle to score Sells.
No. 20 Mississippi State 6, No. 2 Oklahoma 6
Bottom 6
Sydney Barker singled up the middle to lead off. With one out, Parker also singled up the middle before Wells hit her second home run of the day.
No. 20 Mississippi State 6, No. 2 Oklahoma 9
Top 7
Paige Ernstes and Rivera led off with back-to-back singles. Ally Supan ran for Ernstes at first. With one out, Richardson doubled into left center, scoring Supan and advancing Rivera to third. Barbary was intentionally walked to load the bases. Romero singled through the right side to score Rivera. Gabby Schaeffer pinch ran for Barbary at first. With two outs, Bernardini walked to score Richardson. Silva beat out an infield single to second base that drove in Schaeffer. The throw to first was wild, letting Romero come home from second.
No. 20 Mississippi State 11, No. 2 Oklahoma 9
Next Up
Mississippi State will look to clinch its first trip to the Women's College World Series on Saturday. Game 2 is set for a noon CT start and will air on ESPN.For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Everett, Delainey (2-1)
L: Lowry, Audrey (22-4)
Batting:
2B: Richardson, Abby Grace 1 ; Keller, Kinley 1 ; Rivera, Des 1
HR: Rivera, Des 1
RBI: Richardson, Abby Grace 1 ; Barbary, Nadia 1 ; Romero, Xiane 1 ; Bernardini, Morgan 2 ; Silva, Tatum 2 ; Rivera, Des 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Richardson, Abby Grace 2 ; Barbary, Nadia 2 ; Schaeffer, Gabby 1 ; Romero, Xiane 1 ; Sells, Kiarra 1 ; Supan, Ally 1 ; Rivera, Des 3
HBP: Keller, Kinley 1
Batting:
HR: Wells, Kendall 2 ; Emerling, Isabela 1 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1
RBI: Wells, Kendall 6 ; Emerling, Isabela 2 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Minor, Kai 2 ; Parker, Ella 1 ; Wells, Kendall 2 ; Garcia, Gabbie 1 ; Emerling, Isabela 1 ; Pickering, Kasidi 1 ; Barker, Sydney 1
HBP: Dayton, Abby 1
PO: Dayton, Abby 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
ph/lf
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
P
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C/INF
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P
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OF
/ SoftballUTL
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INF
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INF
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OF
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OF
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INF
/ Softball
UTL
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