No. 18 Arizona rallies to upset No. 3 Oklahoma behind Biehl's grand slam

The Wildcats scored six runs in the sixth inning to come from behind and defeat the Sooners 11-6.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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No. 18 Arizona softball achieved one of its most impressive wins ever at Hillenbrand Stadium on Friday, rallying to beat No. 3 Oklahoma 11-6 in the first of a three-game series. The Sooners jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, but the Wildcats scored six runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Tayler Biehl's grand slam, to take an 11-6 lead that held for the rest of the game.

Why it matters

This win over a perennial powerhouse like Oklahoma is a significant accomplishment for the Arizona softball program, which is looking to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament this season. The Wildcats showed resilience and the ability to make in-game adjustments against a top-ranked opponent.

The details

Arizona (3-0) was trailing 5-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but with four walks that included two players being walked home, and an error by Ailana Agbayani, Arizona led 7-6. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tayler Biehl crushed a ball over the centerfield wall, giving the Wildcats an 11-6 lead that held for the rest of the game.

  • The Sooners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
  • Arizona scored two runs in the bottom of the first to make it 3-2.
  • Oklahoma extended its lead to 5-2 in the third inning.
  • Arizona tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning.
  • Arizona scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take an 11-6 lead.

The players

Tayler Biehl

The Arizona player who hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Wildcats the lead.

Jalen Adams

The Arizona pitcher who threw six innings and 125 pitches, giving up two earned runs after coming into the game in the second inning.

Patty Gasso

The head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, who has led the program to four of the last five national championships.

Caitlin Lowe

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, who celebrated her birthday with the significant win.

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas

The Oklahoma player who hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

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What they’re saying

“This is just insurance time, nothing to lose up there and I was just digging in. We've been preparing for this the whole entire year, so I just did my thing and was just trusting my preparation.”

— Tayler Biehl (Arizona Athletics)

“You come in and you try to get ahead right away, so that was the original goal. After that, I kind of settled in. … I'm not going to strike everybody out; that's not the kind of pitcher I am. I need to trust my D, and once I did that, they had my back.”

— Jalen Adams (Arizona Athletics)

“Honestly, the hitters did a great job communicating with each other all night. Yesterday (in a doubleheader sweep of Southern Utah), we weren't making adjustments on the fly. Today,we did it against a very good pitching staff.”

— Caitlin Lowe, Arizona head coach (allsportstucson.com)

What’s next

Arizona will try to win the series against Oklahoma tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium.

The takeaway

This comeback win over a top-3 ranked Oklahoma team shows the resilience and potential of the Arizona softball program, which is looking to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament this season.