Sooners Dominant, Cowgirls Struggle in Preview Featuring Bedlam

Oklahoma swept Saturday, while Oklahoma State was swept in the second day of the tournament.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:15 pm

By: News On 6

Sooners Dominant, Cowgirls Struggle in Preview Featuring Bedlam

Originally Published: Mar 6, 2011 12:9 AM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Sooners capped off The Preview Featuring Bedlam with a 7-0 win over rival Oklahoma State Saturday.

Sophomore Keilani Ricketts (8-2) pitched another gem for the Sooners, striking out 13 and giving up just five hits in her complete-game shutout of rival Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State ace Kat Espinosa (8-1) pitched her worst outing of the season, giving up six hits and five earned runs in just two innings of service.

Oklahoma’s Jessica Shults did most of the work for the Sooners from the plate, knocking in five runs on a 3-of-3 performance. Leading 1-0 in the top of the second inning with the bases loaded, the sophomore leadoff hitter hit a bases-clearing double to right field to take a 5-0 lead. Two innings later, she went yard to right field with Brittany Williams on first to make it a seven-run lead.

In OU’s earlier game, it got a bit of a scare from Illinois-Chicago before moving on to a 5-3 win.

The Flames jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and it took OU until the fourth inning to respond. The Sooners scored two in the fourth, and then Jessica Shultz blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to give Oklahoma the lead for good.

Pitching doomed the Cowgirls in their earlier game as well, Auburn pitcher Jenee Loree (4-1) allowing just three earned runs on five hits in a complete-game outing.