Dominant Pitching Gives Sooners Doubleheader Sweep

Originally Published: Apr 21, 2010 9:35 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

WACO, Texas – The Oklahoma softball team turned in solid starting pitching in both games of a doubleheader against Baylor Wednesday, easily sweeping both games.

Keilani Ricketts started the first game of the night for the Sooners (34-10, 8-3), and Michelle Gascoigne pitched the second. Both threw complete games, and they gave up a total of two runs on five hits in 14 innings.

In the first game of the day, the Sooners used a big fifth inning to pull away for a 6-1 win. Up 2-1 going into the inning, Jessica Shults connected on a three-run home run to extend the lead to four. Lindsey Vandever immediately followed with a home run of her own to finish the scoring and seal the Sooners’ victory.

Ricketts gave up one run on two hits to earn her 21st victory of the season. Baylor’s Courtney Repka started for Baylor (24-19, 4-8) and was credited with the loss after surrendering seven hits and five earned runs in her four innings of work.

Repka also started the second game for the Bears, but again was outdueled by the Sooners’ pitching. Gascoigne matched Ricketts’ numbers almost identically, giving up one run on three hits to remain undefeated on the season and lead OU to a 3-1 victory.

Vandever broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with an RBI single, and Evan Sallis scored an unearned run later in the inning on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0. The Sooners added another unearned run in the sixth inning. The Bears finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double by Kathy Shelton, but it was too late to make a difference.

The Sooners will continue their conference schedule with a two-game series against Nebraska starting at 2 p.m. Saturday in Lincoln.