Sooners Split Series With No. 3 Texas

The Longhorns responded every time OU managed to get on the board.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:22 pm

By: News On 6

Originally Published: May 1, 2011 5:23 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

AUSTIN, Texas – The Oklahoma softball team finished with a series split after a 5-3 loss to rival No. 3 Texas Sunday.

The Sooners (34-17, 8-8) started the game’s scoring with an RBI single by Jessica Shults in the top of the first inning, but that began a trend of Texas immediately responding. The Longhorns (44-5, 13-1) tied the game 1-1 in the second when Courtney Craig scored on a wild pitch.

OU retook the lead in the third thanks to an RBI single by Dani Dobbs, but again Texas responded. Taylor Hoagland led off the bottom of the third with a home run to tie things, and the Longhorns took their first lead later in the frame.

With runners on first and second with nobody out, Amy Hooks laid down a sacrifice bunt. The play worked even better than anticipated, as both runners moved up two bases, resulting in a run to give Texas a 3-2 lead. The other runner scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat to give UT a two-run advantage.

The Sooners cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth inning, but once again Texas answered with a run of its own, this time with a solo home run by Craig.

OU managed to get runners into scoring position in each of the final two innings, but both times failed to cash in. Dobbs hit a fly ball to center field for the final out to seal the loss.

The Sooners now have lost five of their last seven games, but did manage to hand Texas its first loss of the conference season Saturday. Since the teams only played two games, it also marks the first time the Longhorns have failed to win a conference series.

OU now has only three games left in the regular season, all of them at home. Its next action will come at 6 p.m. Wednesday against North Texas.